immediate family
Blood makes you related, loyalty makes you family.
Break Free
I write about what I know, what I have seen and become engulfed in for over 15 years. Growing up there were no norms for women’s empowerment. I grew up in the era like many women with the cattiness, the girl cliques and the in’s and out crowd. However coming from a woman dominated family. I have literally seen it all. I was exposed to every kind of woman from young. I knew what I aspired to be from the women I was exposed to.
By Felicia Lee 6 years ago in Families
Divine Women Who've Taught Me The Way
As one woman, I am more than adamant to share with the world the impact that a number of other women have left me with. When they say "it takes a village to raise a child," I think it goes far beyond just teaching them right from wrong. Being raised in a family in which women out number men played a large role in the way I was brought up. My grandmothers, aunts and cousins have embodied wisdom, grace, strength, and optimism. Even watching how they would handle situations and grow from them was a blueprint in itself for me to follow when the time came. Although they are all so different, they are the backbones of my family. Plus, they are a rainbow in which they blend together so beautifully (even on the rainy days). Seeing women in my family who were nothing but nurses, teachers, and lawyers around me was only confirmation that everything I do must be done to perfection, because I watched them do their jobs every day. My mom would often tell me that as one of seven children, my grandmother and grandfather made the decision to create their own shop and opening that business is what led them to push my aunts and uncles through school. Sacrifice is a constant theme in this family of mine. Just the thought of my mom and her siblings coming from the sweet, small island of Jamaica and creating a beautiful life for my two older brothers and I spoke volumes. I'm grateful for my dad as well, but hey. This one is for the women! Allow me to proceed. This very same family taught me how to love and how to dream without ceasing. When I grew into myself I found my love for the arts. I grew up with a heart for singing, writing, and acting. I had days when I thought they'd feel disappointed because over time I wanted to go through life and sing about it, or perform spoken word pieces about it rather than graduating from Harvard with a BA in Nursing. I felt like there was someone else they'd rather me be, because that's who they were, but I was wrong (for the most part) I still get the, "You don't want to go back and do nursing?" but I know it's all out of love. I'm happy as an English major though. As long as my parents are happy about it as well, then I am too. The same support she showed me along my journey of becoming who I am today is what will inspire me to be the same kind of mother to my future child. The powerful women in my family reminded me that they'll be right behind me as I follow every goal I've set until I reach the pinnacle of my success. They carried traits that reminded me that I am so much more than just a girl and that I am the embodiment of a vital spirit. They still remind me of how I am capable to do anything I want to do in the amount of time that has been granted to me on this earth. My grandmother's prayers have carried over even into today for me to live my life to the fullest even on my not-so-good days. I think the best part of this all is that they've taught me to never prove myself to anybody. I remember every day that I came into this world alone, and that is the same way in which I will be leaving it. I can always depend on them because whenever I am hurting over being mistreated or heartbroken, they remind me that it is okay to feel. It’s not normal to repudiate my emotions and no matter how much the world tries to turn my heart into stone, I carry this with me. They remind me to live my life in harmony with truth and honesty. They emphasize for me to stay focused and to always have a keen eye. Being raised with such care has reminded me of my purpose for walking this Earth. Two forms of the many arts that I adore (music and writing) have presented icons who I look up to, Lauryn Hill and Sista Souljah. I love everything about the spirit of Ms. Hill. She carries herself with so much grace and natural beauty that forces me to just be real with myself and with everyone around me. Her talent is unbelievable and she has a voice that makes me feel like dancing in the middle of a storm. I don't know where the world of music would be without her as one woman. Sista Souljah has taken the boring feel out of reading for me. I loved to write growing up, but I dreaded reading. I became a bookworm after being introduced to The Coldest Winter Ever and A Deeper Love Inside. I think Black urban literature is a significant part of Black culture and those two novels have changed my life, truthfully. They even inspired me to create my own novel which I completed and published earlier this year. I think if the world continues to see through the eyes of the black youth (young black womanhood at that) it would understand us a lot better. She really puts her finest efforts into the pages and I feel every bit of emotion as I read, and re-read, and re-read again. I want to make sure that the young brown girl I bring up is aware of all the things I've learned and experienced from all of these lovely women and then some.
By Tiffany Linton6 years ago in Families
Wedding Stress
I'm getting married! I'm still getting used to saying that. I say it to my fiance about nineteen times a day. It hasn't started driving him nuts... yet. I never really thought I would get married as a kid. I always thought - even growing up, that if I did get married, I would elope in Vegas. So when I realized that I needed to start planning a wedding, I got a little scared. I know there's a lot to it. But I'm a low - stress person. If it causes me stress, I try not to deal with it. Everyone told me, planning my wedding, it was going to be impossible for me to not stress about it. They weren't wrong.
By Michelle Schultz6 years ago in Families
My Big Fat Greek.....Life
As many may have figured from my last name starting with an X and sounding like something you’ve never even heard of I am here to tell that even though many may think that my life is certainly compared the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” there are many things that are very different in comparison. For one, my dad doesn’t chase people around the house with windex cleanse and spray us with it if we have an ailment, even though that was pretty funny 🤣and another big thing that many non-Greeks believe after watching this movie is that all Greeks must marry within the Greek community. Well I beg to differ on that one. My godmother actually married an Italian man, hence making my godfather a non-Greek and my two god sisters half Italian and half Greek which in my book is a pretty cool mix. My back story starts like this; my dad first came to the US in the late 1970’s when he was only about 18 years old. He lived in Jersey City, New Jersey and took the ferry into Manhattan and worked as a dishwasher just trying to make ends meet. A few years go by, circa 1983 he goes back to the motherland to become a godfather himself, to who else, my older cousin George. Mind you my aunt set this up completely because she wanted him to meet my mother. And so the story goes that my dad met my mom at my cousins baptism and year later they were married. Eventually they moved back to Jersey and three years later they had my sister, Maria. When she was three they moved to Long Island, NY and two years after that they decided to have me 😳🙂🤣. At the time my dad and uncle Mike had opened up their little version of a coffee shop in Forest Hills, Queens, (which is still there folks go check it out it’s the bomb diggity!). It’s still there to this day even though with this whole corona virus going on we are still doing deliveries and take outs so please go check us out! We need all the help we can get!! But anyway, growing up with 2 immigrant parents from Greece has been totally normal besides the fact that I had to go to Greek school and Greek dance and Sunday school on sundays I still did the normal everyday kid things. I played clarinet in the elementary school band and I was even a Girl Scout. But let me not bore you any further, yes my family is huge and loud and I love them all to death. Hope you like my story 🙂🧐
By Angela Xerakias6 years ago in Families
Strength in the Shadows
Start writing...Inspirational women in my life have been numerous,however three stand above all others. I was eleven when life drastically changed& I was in desperate need of guidance. My father lost his eight-year long battle with cancer leaving my mom to raise us three children alone. I would never fully grasp the depth of this challenge till I was grown,reflecting back on how we were brought up with love,never having much,but always managing to get by,relying heavily on the shared trama that loss brings. Despite mom's depression&driftlessness that would be a part of all our lives for the next decade,we grew together bonded by our suffering.Death is an amazing glue to those that remain,it was in our case anyway. Our family relying heavily on our humor and sarcasm. My mom's strength&determination to go on has been an inspiration to me my entire adult life.Seven years ago she fought her own battle with breast cancer as my sister&I stood alongside her lost in a fog of disbelief.We all made our way through despite our newest scars. Losing one parent put a profound amount of fear in our minds and hearts as we hoped for the best.It has been five years and we still have our family happily intact with mom being the intracal heart.My younger sister by ten years is not only an amazing inspiration to me,she is my truest friend. Anna was the gift that entered our world when my father was leaving ours. She was six months old when dad died and the one light we had at that dark time.Highly creative,she is an amazing pianoist,painter,and writer. Having a gift as an entrepreneur,she started her own jewelry business at the age of 22,selling her handmade pieces of art at local independent shops and atCrystal Bridges Museum store. Despite her depression&anxiety,she has arisen from the ashes to be a woman that has no recognition of the true inspiration she is. I admire how she continues to fight,despite everyday being an uphill challenge. Anna gives my life color,she adds humor&depth to every day.The world through her lens is such a uniquely beautiful one that I value getting to have a glimpse through. When you are a highly private person who has a small circle of trust,to have a person understand your mind is a raregift. We are true regency era sisters,equally loving to read,create art,take afternoon walks,drinking tea with paintbrushesin hand. Loving our solitude almost as much as each other,the quiet peace of our lives suits us very well. I come from a extensive family with my dad's sister,my aunt Yvonne,soaring to the top of my favorite people list. Standing beside me through the roller coaster of life has been my second mother for as long as I can remember.Living half of my life in central Wisconsin on a farm,she taught me lost skills of survival long before it was popular,besides being a Jill of all trades,it's her kindness that sets her apart as a powerhouse of a woman.Auntie's empathy&love for everyone makes her stand out as an inspiration of what the world is desperately lacking enough of. The values and qualities I admire most are embodied in her,love runs through all of her veins felt by all she meets. How a person treats another person is how I measure quality of character,and in this she taught through example what love is. I feel as women,we all come from a long line of strength,we just have to tap into it,with the realization that it too,resides in each one of us.
By Inga S Christianson6 years ago in Families
My daughter...my inspiration.
After being tortured for 9 months with vomiting,low blood pressure and then put on a walking frame as i was unable to weight bear due to a fractured pubic bone,and coccyx bone,i was induced at 37 weeks and went through 14 hrs of precipricated labour and then had my waters broken..in that process they pulled the doctor pulled out a red hair. I was mortifed as i knew of no redheads in our family and i said to my husband :"i didnt cheat on you i promise!" My husband and my mum burst into laughter and said..um my brother was a red head, and your babies grandmother was a redhead!" I didnt know that ...
By Donna Bolch6 years ago in Families
