My earliest memories involve fear. My home life was unstable at best; at its’ worst, it was violent and terrifying. My parent’s relationship was defined by threats, shouting, anger and arguments. Their marriage eventually ended when I was only eight years old but my view of love and family was already scarred by things that no child should ever have to see, hear or expe....
Growing up I never really understood the value of Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or Valentine’s Day. When I asked my friends why they celebrated these occasions, their answers always related to wanting to honour their family. But what if you don’t feel like your family is worth celebrating? My two siblings and I grew up in a home that was defined by abuse; abuse of alcohol,....
I was born in South Africa to a 16 year old unwed mother. My mom was too young to take on the responsibility of motherhood so my granny stepped in and she raised me as her 11th child. My mom has since gone on to have five more children. It was many years before my siblings were told that I was their sister and not their aunty. My grandparents were very strict, especially my gra....
I was born in Kurdistan, Iraq. Saddam Hussein, the president of Iraq, hated our people. He and his regime systematically tortured, persecuted, imprisoned and murdered thousands of Kurdish people in an attempt to exterminate us completely. Mass shootings, live burials and chemical attacks on cities and villages, he was brutal and merciless. My father was a journalist and musicia....
Dad took a hammer to the walls late one night. The next morning, the kitchen was covered in dents left by the hammer’s blows. Before I headed off to school, my mother and I ate breakfast in our newly “decorated” kitchen. No one said a word. My father was an alcoholic. His disease consumed our lives. I was told that there was a time, prior to my adoption, when my dad was a....
