Latest Stories

Most recently published stories in Families.

Cancer Won, and I Think HE Cheated
I lost my mom to cancer in December 2010; I was 20 years old. I'm sure if you're reading this, you knew someone who has been touched by cancer. What am I saying!? You have known someone who has been slapped across the face by cancer. It sucks, especially if cancer wins.
By Erika Watson8 years ago in Families
Forgiveness is an Act of Consciousness
Has it every occurred to you that you would fall in love and marry someone outside your religion/ethnicity? Let me tell you a little story about myself. My name is Michelle, I am 22 years old I was born and raised in Chicago, IL. I was raised in an old-fashioned European lifestyle where respect is everything especially in the Polish culture. I live an average life, a perfect family and a toy poodle named Mia. Everything sounds good right? Wrong have you ever felt like you have everything but yet you're still unhappy. People always telling you what to do because they want you to be successful and not struggle like they did in life to get where they are? It was killing me inside, it led to altercations that didn't need to happen, it led to hatred between parents and siblings. It made me feel like I was always the bad guy because I felt trapped. You felt unheard of. So one day your friend gave you an opportunity to let yourself be you, let yourself be free and do what you want to do, so you move to another state.
By Michelle Zubek8 years ago in Families
My Experiences with Autism
Autism is a brain disorder that makes it difficult for the affected to communicate or relate to others. It is something that I am all too familiar with since my little brother suffers from it. For years he didn’t speak and when he finally started too only a few people could understand him. He also could not and still can not sit still for long periods of time. My brother is constantly rocking back and forth with repetitive hand motions as well as head motions that sway back and forth. He doesn’t like his daily routine interrupted because it is what he is used too. All through school he was in special education classes which were difficult for both of us. Teasing was something that was regular.
By Alyssa Horn8 years ago in Families
Expectations, Hurt & Understanding: A Vicious Cycle
You wake up in the morning and start your day like any other. You get your coffee and head to work. You think it is going to be a normal day and then your phone goes off and you receive a text message. Whenever you receive a text message from that individual, your heart kind of sinks into your stomach. You never know what to except and you are always hoping for a good text or a nice text. 99.9% of the time you do not receive the text you are looking for. Today, when you received that text message, nothing was different. Although, this time it hurt you a little more than usual and unfortunately the text is from your mother.
By Stephanie Lukasiak8 years ago in Families
Some Stuff You Just Don't Make Up
Today is one of those days. My head is congested and I feel a fever brewing in my chest. On top of my current health status, I have lost pretty much everything that holds you together as an adult. Well let's see—I got really behind on my rent payments so in August I moved back in with my mom. Ugh, yes. See our relationship is not the greatest (story for another day). And last night, I woke up to my Jeep, (that I was super proud of myself for being able to get almost two years ago) honking the alarm in the distance as I realized it was getting repo'd. It's the end of the month, and my sales haven't been the greatest for November. And those damn NSF fees keep taking my money and the commissions don't pay out quick enough. All around yes, it is a shitty situation.
By SanJuanita Escobar8 years ago in Families
A Family Christmas?
Families are complicated. We all know that. We all wish we could change something about our families. Whether we just wish our fathers would tell less dad jokes or our mums would finally learn how to cook without burning everything. (My mum is an amazing cook, I'm the one who burns everything!)
By Felicity Yvette8 years ago in Families
The Man Behind the Curtain
Growing up, I loved the Wizard of Oz. There was something magical and timeless about the Yellow Brick Road and the passion of Dorothy to find her way home, Scarecrow to find his brain, Tin Man to find his heart, and the Lion to find his courage. All to find out that the man behind the curtain was just a man, whose hope and wisdom fulfilled all desires by encouraging everyone by exploring their own virtues.
By Carissa Novak8 years ago in Families
Teenage Mom?
I’m new to this. Voicing how I feel in a public setting. I usually keep what I think a secret. But I eventually have to let it out. Have to take the weight off my shoulders. When you’re with someone for a long period of time you think you know them. Until you don’t. Until they become the polar opposite of who you fell for 3 years 4 months and 5 days ago. You love them. They love you. Everything is GREAT! You meet online as most couples do this day in age. You meet. Go on a whimsical 12 hour date. Just spend the day together. It was almost too good to be true... and it is... only much later. 10 months and 1 week into the relationship you find out you’re pregnant. You’re 16 he’s 19 and you think you can take on the world. I cried. Over and over again. My life is over. I’m only 16, a sophomore in high school. I have a life to live, I have to graduate, go to college, make a life for myself. Not create one when I’m a child myself. What will your best friend think? What will their parents think? What will YOUR parents think? What is your life going to be now? Caring for a child while going to school. Going to have to get a job... diapers are expensive. Are you going to breastfeed... bottle feed? What kind of formula will they eat if I can’t breastfeed? How much clothes do they need? How much are cribs? Where will they sleep? Do I co sleep?
By Briana D8 years ago in Families
The Female Scrooge
I have always loved Christmas. Having my daughter usually makes me eager for Christmas to come. I've never had to receive a gift as long as I had my baby girl. That's all I've ever needed for Christmas. So what could have caused my boiling rage at the sight of a tree, or the sound of jingle bells?
By Jenonymous Pagonymous8 years ago in Families
"He Isn't Breathing On His Own"
I was diagnosed with Complete Placenta Previa early on in my 4th pregnancy. I had had a partial with my middle daughter but it thankfully moved. This time we weren't so lucky. It stayed exactly where it was the entire pregnancy thus resulting in needing to have a C-section at 36 weeks. I was scared out of my mind. My other children had been born naturally and without complication and I had no idea what to expect. My one and only fear the entire pregnancy is that my son would be born not breathing. I had nightmares about it, cried for hours over this fear, and it gripped me like a plague.
By Somer Michalski-Jones8 years ago in Families
Dealing with a Cryptic Pregnancy
Before I start my story, I want to start by saying that what I am about to reveal is true and fact. This is just my story. We have all heard the stories on the news of a woman goes into labor, has a baby, but she didn't know that the was pregnant, and we have all asked ourselves how did she not know that she was pregnant? Well, there are many reasons for this, but this is not my story. My story is a little different than this situation. My situation is that I'm currently about 21 weeks pregnant with twins, however, I cannot be medically diagnosed as being pregnant for every test that I have taken comes back negative and getting an ultrasound is tough also, since the doctors will not order one since the tests are negative.
By Tiffany Dew8 years ago in Families
Chasm
Her little body was lifeless on the ground. The beach still had footprints of her life embedded into it. The beach fire that had coals, still burning.
By Chloe Renee8 years ago in Families