grandparents

Becoming a grandparent makes getting older something to look forward to - all the fun of parenting, without the hassle.

The Adventure Journal
My grandfather passed away three days ago. Today was his funeral and the reading of his will. Everyone was there - mum, dad and me. Being here I started remembering our time together - tending to his small garden, hunting mushrooms in the woods, and finding huge snails. Grandpa would jokingly say those snails would be good in a stew which always made me giggle and squirm.
By K-Bob5 years ago in Families
Mystery Man In A Suit
After sitting at my computer for hours on zoom calls, my body's bones started to get stiff like cement. I slowly got up from the table to move around, but every step became harder. At that moment, I promised myself to take more breaks and stand up every twenty minutes. My name is Frida Kahlo Davis, named after the famous painter Frida Kahlo. I'm a contributor to the lifestyle blog "Finding Your Light," my schedule can get hectic during the holidays. Companies tend to reach out to me for listicle articles such as "The top 5 Affordable Gifts This Year" or "Eight Ways to Deal with Your In-Laws During The Holiday Season." With the pandemic in full force, companies that I once worked with decided to cut their staff, including my freelance writer position. Over the past several months, I've had to make some sacrifices; I've found myself using candles as my primary source of light, eating noodles, and reading more books after getting rid of cable and streaming services. My stress levels have been too high, and I'm losing lots of sleep.
By teisha leshea5 years ago in Families
Get up, adjust your crown, and keep going
Drug abuse, drinking, and stealing were only a small fraction of problems I had in my teenage years. Don’t get me wrong; I grew up in the most loving and caring family I could ever ask for; but my parents only adopted me when I was ten years old. Prior to that, my home was an orphanage and a few families who temporarily took me in. Nothing traumatising happened to me. However, the feeling of not being loved, wanted, or needed was deeply engraved into my soul.
By D E Dohmen5 years ago in Families
A hunt for love
Salt stings my eyes reminding me of the heat as I wipe the sweat from my brow. “She never did like air-conditioning.” I chuckle sadly, sitting in my grandmothers’ house unfolding box after box preparing to pack all the things she gathered throughout her life. Nothing of great value, just old knick-knacks from a time forgotten, books towering upon books of all the fictional stories she loved to read to me, fuelling my imagination. No this is simply a house of memories.
By Emma Cooper5 years ago in Families
That Old House
“I used to love this old house. Whew!! If these walls could talk, I’d certainly be afraid, and love the hidden stories all at the same time.” I thought to myself as I walked around the house I grew up in one last time.
By Shannon Huff5 years ago in Families
A hunt of love
Salt stings my eyes reminding me of the heat as I wipe the sweat from my brow. “She never did like air-conditioning.” I chuckle sadly, sitting in my grandmothers’ house unfolding box after box preparing to pack all the things she gathered throughout her life. Nothing of great value, just old knick-knacks from a time forgotten, books towering upon books of all the fictional stories she loved to read to me, fuelling my imagination. No this is simply a house of memories.
By Emma Cooper5 years ago in Families
The Little Black Notebook
I didn’t care about my degree. I didn’t care about my business. And I sure didn’t care about the twenty-thousand dollar check that was just handed to me.
By Caleb Hermann5 years ago in Families
secrets of a moonlight angel
It was only after my grandmother’s passing that her artwork began to attract attention. She had sold a single piece while she was alive; the very first piece she’d ever completed, in fact. After that sale she decided she didn’t care for the attention and kept the rest of her work private as long as she was alive.
By auraborrows5 years ago in Families
Writer's Block
I was sitting on my couch watching the rain cling to the windows. The little beads sounded like pebbles against the glass. I was afraid the window would break. The heavy blue curtains let only a streak of light from the outside world in. I tried not to let my gaze wander across the dark living room. I didn’t want to see the pale yellow wallpaper peeling away at the edges or the ugliness of the cluttered papers, bills, and junk.
By Emily Wohlstadter5 years ago in Families
The Incentive She Needed
A single teardrop rolled down Caroline's cheek as she looked at the envelope in her hand. She closed her eyes, wiped the tear away, and took a deep breath to steady herself. Jessie, a second cousin by marriage who was also Gran-momma’s lawyer, left a voicemail last week to tell Caroline that Gran-momma’s estate had been settled and her inheritance had been mailed. The small, padded manila envelope had been the only piece of mail that day, face down as she pulled it out of the box, so she didn’t see the sender until she was in the house.
By Nick Kritselis5 years ago in Families
Cafe's Lost Boys
Daisy rolled the cigarette filter between her forefinger and thumb as she exhaled the strange mix of smoke and mint. The unfamiliarity of smoking after so long made her knees feel like jelly and her mouth water with nausea. She watched the mourners return to their cars with their hearts sore but bellies full. “You should go back in, your mum’s looking for you. Who are you kidding on with that- think you’re Lana Del Rey?” Callum, her cousin, interrupted her, taking the menthol off her taking a long draw before exhaling quickly in distaste and stamping the offending item out on top of the bin. Daisy scoffed a laugh and responded “It’s what grieving people do right? Weird stuff” she answered by way of defence. Callum raised a hesitant eyebrow. “Maybe, but what would Café say if she saw you now?” he responded. The cousins almost in unison said “I’ll take that and drop it down your knickers!”. They laughed at the memory of the repeated warning they received from childhood while watching their grandmother chain smoke her way through her golden years. Callum smiled and gave her hand a quick squeeze before going back inside. Such an intimate gesture would have made her balk 2 weeks ago but it seemed so much had changed. She and Callum had become much closer, like they had been as children, only now, they had become entangled in a mission Indiana Jones may have politely declined. Daisy was still trying to make sense of it but for now, needed to help her mother tidy up.
By Lisa 5 years ago in Families
Winds of Change
There is a stiff breeze blowing today, and for the first time in years I think it’s a washing day wind. I used to always peg my washing out on a line, but in recent years, when it’s just been Andrew and me, I’ve made do with a drying rack in the kitchen. More convenient, really, especially since I work during the day. Even before the boys left home Andrew surprised me with a tumble dryer--not the most romantic of presents, perhaps, but I was ecstatic at the time, even if I don’t use it much anymore. We hardly ever have a full load between the two of us.
By Kate Hewitt5 years ago in Families