From as young as I can remember I dreamed of being a mother. As the eldest child in our family I embraced the role of protective big sister to my two younger sisters and brother. My dreams for my life were traditional and uncomplicated. I would become a nurse like my mom and then a wife and mother. I was not a natural student and did not enjoy school. As a shy and quiet teenage....
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....
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....
Splash Mountain was my favorite ride at Disneyland and I was not willing to delay the experience – even for something as necessary as going to the bathroom. Despite the obvious, long, line, I convinced myself that I could wait. The line wove through the dark, damp corridors of the artificial rock formations and after waiting over an hour, our family of five climbed into the l....
