“One evening, as I was returning from work, I suddenly heard someone calling out to me. I turned around, surprised to see who it could be. It turned out to be a young woman with a child about six years old. She approached and said, ‘Ms. Caroline, I’m Piper, and this is your grandson, Eli. He’s already six years old!’ I was shocked because…”
I moved to Canada for work when my eldest son finished high school. Nathan was 18, and Matthew was 15. At that time, our small town offered little opportunity. Eventually, everyone seemed to leave their spouses and young children behind to earn some money. Thirteen years have passed since then. Nathan got married, and his young family moved into his wife’s apartment, but I had given
From her childhood, Alexa was given everything of the best quality, and her friends envied her. Only her classmate Vivian once said, “I don’t envy you. With parents like yours, life must be unbearable! They control every step, make all the decisions, and dictate what you should do.” Indeed, Alexa’s life was not easy. She had no choice, not even in
My neighbor, Mrs. Ella, is 68 years old and lives alone. I often visit her to keep her company and bring something sweet for our tea time. We enjoy delightful conversations, and she loves to share stories about her travels. Ella usually avoids talking about her family, but one day, she decided to open up about her estranged adult daughter, Savannah, with whom she has lost all contact.
For many married women, a weak-willed husband can be the source of much sorrow and disillusionment. It’s often said that a woman needs to feel the strong support of her partner. Without it, love, no matter how intense, may eventually fade. It’s particularly challenging to be close to a man who shows weakness towards his mother.
Our grandpa, Nathan, is 70 years old and has always been the patriarch of our family. We respected him deeply and always valued his guidance. That was the case until recently. Nathan and our grandma, Claire, had been married for over forty years, raising two children—our parents—and nurturing three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. We thought we were a close-knit family until everything changed after grandma passed away.
Despite being the younger child in our family, I never felt particularly spoiled or treated with kid gloves. My sister, mother, and I lived in a small town that felt more like a village to me. Now, having seen more of the world, I can compare. Our mother raised us alone, managing a small farm with a cow, two pigs, chickens, and occasionally ducks. But as I grew older, the urge to leave grew stronger
I never thought I would find myself in such a situation. Last Thursday, my parents invited my sister Hazel and me to their home for a serious discussion. We had been anticipating this meeting for a while, as it was finally time to decide on the division of Grandma’s house. The outcome, however, was not what I had expected.
My family life has been less than ideal, with strained relations between my husband and me. Our only joy is our daughter, Lily. We don’t live with our parents and maintain cordial relations with everyone, but my relationship with my mother-in-law, Natalie, is particularly challenging. She plays the part of a poor woman, but in reality, she is quite wealthy. Natalie never gives anything to her granddaughter, Lily. Perhaps
My husband Ethan and I grew up in the same small town, even in the same neighborhood. We attended the same high school, though I was two years his junior. Back then, we weren’t friends, but later, through mutual acquaintances, we discovered our shared past. Ethan graduated with an engineering degree, while I pursued education in social work. We both thrived in our careers. Ethan had a passion for restoring old cars
I never thought I’d feel resentment towards both my mom and my sister. I was raised differently. Yet, life has unfolded in such a way that I can’t rid myself of this feeling of injustice. What should I do in this situation? I find it hard to make a decision on my own. Harper and I grew up in a large suburban home. Our family was always close-knit, but
What do your fathers do for a living? Builder, doctor, teacher? My biological father was a sailor all his life. He traveled, met people, observed. At least, that’s what I hoped as a child. After all, we didn’t live together: my father left us when I was five years old. Mom always said that Dad was following his dream. So, they weren’t meant to be. Soon, someone else entered our lives
