family
Family unites us; but it's also a challenge. All about fighting to stay together, and loving every moment of it.
Secrets
It was an unusually warm Saturday morning for it to be February, but I was still excited to take the bus ride to my sister's house to see my nephew Carter. He was only two weeks old, but I had plans of spoiling him as much as I could possibly get away with. My sister Cassandra was a new mother and she was nervous about every little thing concerning the baby, so I thought I'd lend a hand and do whatever I could to help her out. Our mother had yet to see her grandson because she was still angry about my sister getting pregnant so soon after graduating from high school. I thought that my mom's anger would subside once Carter was born, but she was adamant about not supporting my sister in anyway since she had no immediate plans of attending college. The fact that Carter's father never kept steady employment only added fuel to the already volatile relationship my mom and sister had. My mom also suspected that Cassandra was being physically abused, but she had no solid proof of her suspicions. I knew though. I knew a lot of things about my sister and her boyfriend Frankie that I never spoke to my mom about.
By Valerie Middleton7 years ago in Humans
Bed
It's Wednesday in cloudy Washington, IL. The rains drops are spaced out just enough to make me wonder if it's over. I'm lying in my bed and have been since 8 AM. Am I sick? No. Am I catching up on sleep? No. In fact, my three year old is in the living room watching Moana and eating food. He doesn't know what I know. He has never seen or felt what I have. I can't bring myself to perk up. I don't want to look at food, dishes, the shower or the four loads of laundry I have left on the couch so that Edwin has to sit on the floor to watch a movie. I'm in my room instead, writing this. Because you see, this is my first attempt to get a grip on my life and improve. I'm told to write out my feelings so that I can take a look at what I feel and what I know is happening right now. I'm grateful for what we have. My husband is working hard for us. He is in school as I type, studying, and then after a nine to five day he will rush 40 minutes home to see us, eat and leave for work until 10 PM. He does this four nights a week. The rest are filled with concerts, ballet, lessons and church. Those are not why I am feeling this way. It's not the business of life keeping me down. It's not the lack of quality time with my spouse, the lack of free will to drive to the library since we are a one car family, the lack of means to shop on amazon until a better job comes. It is the silence I feel when I reach out to someone.
By Brittany Servis-Davis7 years ago in Humans
Family
Many people would say that you have to be blood related to be family, but they are wrong. Your friends and the people you care about are your family. We grow up with a difficult childhood in which we think we are alone and that we don't have a family, but we do. Just look around you, look at your friends, and you will see the truth. They are your family. Family means a group of people who love and care about you, it doesn't mean they need to be blood related to you. Your significant other, your friends, or your pets are your family.
By Sammy Armstrong7 years ago in Humans
Friends from the Block
It's the fall of 2002. I pull on my flare jeans and my Rugrats t-shirt and grab my bike and walk next door. My best friend's mom answers the door and I ask if her kids can come outside and play. It was a simpler time. We didn't text each other to ask if we wanted to "hang out." We just knew that whoever woke up first would walk down the block and wake everyone else up so that we could start playing. If chores had to be done for one of us to come out, we all pitched in so that we could start playing a game faster. Life was easier. My biggest worry was if I would get tagged when we were playing Vampire at night. And when one of us got sick, we all did, so we never stopped hanging out.
By Michelle Schultz7 years ago in Humans
I Fell in Love with Myself
When I watch the sunset now that I am free, it seems as though the glow is brighter, like the world is different. There was a time, only two short years ago, when watching the sunset almost depressed me. I longed to watch it with someone who truly cared, out in the open, breathing in fresh mountain air. But instead, I watched it from a prison where I spent my days pretending to be the happy wife and mother. For sixteen years I lived in this prison. For sixteen years I ached for more.
By Corinne Victoria7 years ago in Humans
Petrichor: Chapter 2
SERENA During the last five years in hiding, we lived on the coastal side of Colombia, in Palomino. It was a smaller town on the Carribean where the population was small and the cost of living was low since the city it resided in was a magnet for hurricanes. Fortunately for me and the boys, a close family friend of mine had offered up his fortress up in the hills as a safe place to stay in until it was time for us to head back to Texas.
By Sharlene Alba7 years ago in Humans
Petrichor: Chapter 1
Daniel Five years of waking up with hangovers and you'd think I'd be fucking used to it by now. My head felt like a damn bowling ball as I lifted it off my pillow and rubbed my eyes open, fixing my junk as I headed to the bathroom to get ready for work. When I opened the door, steam blew out, and I waved it away as the silhouette of a woman exited my shower. Shit. I must've been beyond wasted to take whoever this chick was back to my place. I don't remember the last time I touched a woman, much less liking her enough to let her stay till morning.
By Sharlene Alba7 years ago in Humans
Letter to My Deported Husband
Hola, amor. How are you? I am fine. Our three kids are well. They grow more and more each day. Our oldest son looks just like you. Autism isn't stopping him. He learns more words day by day. Our beautiful daughter asks about you all the time. She's still a daddy's girl. Our baby boy is getting so big. I hate you missed his first words, first steps, and first birthday. I wish you were here to see it all.
By Nena Ranks8 years ago in Humans
"Apparently You're Not Parents"
This was a comment I responded to years ago and just found it: "Why do parents feel like their children owe them some kind of bearings? As parents it's your responsibility to take care of your children, the children owe you nothing but appreciation, not their whole beings. Comments are welcome."
By Razi'El Muntasir8 years ago in Humans
