My height has always been a concern, especially when flying. A fellow traveler on my most recent trip didn’t care about my agony and willingly made it worse. But this time I had a clever answer! I am tall for my age, 16. Just over six feet! Every time I fly, I expect a terrible ride. My knees are pressed against the seat in front of me before we take off because my legs are so lengthy. It’s not enjoyable! What happened on the last flight was the highlight. It began like any other excursion. My mom and I…
Author: World Wide
When a poor janitor gives her daughter an antique toy from a flea market, she hears a cracking sound. She cries over what she finds. “I love this. Eve will love!” Pauline shouted as she passed a toy vendor. Pauline was a janitor and single mother to Eve, 8. Since her husband died of cancer years earlier, she had raised Eve alone. Pauline noticed the doll at the flea market and thought it would be Eve’s best birthday present. She had no money to buy anything expensive, so the flea market was her only bet. Pauline didn’t scrutinize the doll…
Despite our partnership, my husband turned on me when we had our first child. I was close to leaving him after his treatment of me worsened when something awful happened in front of family and friends. Outside help caused a major transformation that saved our marriage. I, Mary, 25, had one of my most embarrassing and eye-opening events recently. Let me rewind. We had our beautiful baby Tilly three weeks ago with my husband Jake, 29. Really, she’s my world. In response to my requests for help with Tilly, her father answers, “Let me relax; my paternity leave is…
Parenting a 13-year-old boy as a widow. Since my spouse died, I’ve worked two jobs to comfort him. It’s hard, but I try. When I cleaned his room, I found $3,500 in his piggy bank! He told me he was going to a classmate’s birthday celebration after school that night. I called the boy’s parents since something felt odd; there was no party. I knew I had to follow him the next day. I was unprepared for what I witnessed. I observed him walk into a rundown laundromat on our neighborhood’s border after school. He anxiously entered the alley…
We arrived at my son’s new school nervous but hopeful, only to hear his instructor say, “Jacob had some challenges.” However, my son’s mournful quiet suggested a deeper issue I couldn’t see behind the school’s closed doors. I was chilled despite the sun. My hands shook as I exited the car onto the school sidewalk. My thoughts were heavy despite the fresh-cut grass and new beginnings. Jacob stood with his teacher near the school’s front doors, shoulders bent, rucksack drooping low. Possibly in her early 30s, Ms. Emily wore a pristine blue shirt and a clipboard under one arm.…
I encountered Nathan, a six-year-old with large eyes and tiny legs, cowering behind his father’s leg on our third date. I knew Richard had a son, but seeing this tiny, damaged infant changed me. His eyes showed a wariness no youngster should know, like when someone leaves without looking back. “Nathan,” Richard continued gently, “this is Victoria, the lady I told you about.” I smiled and knelt toward him. “Hi Nathan. Dad thinks you like dinosaurs. I brought something.” I gave him a paleontology book in a tiny bag. Instead of giving him a toy, I wanted him to know…
Gina spends the weekend with her parents after she and Brendan break up. However, she returns to discover her possessions scattered across the lawn. Gina finds her ex-husband’s priceless item by chance. Read on for her retaliation… Brendan, my spouse, changed suddenly after we divorced. The man I spent years with was gone. His replacement was nasty and spiteful. “You’re criticizing my behavior? About my speech? Brendan shouted. I’m only saying you should relax when chatting to me. Screaming won’t help you communicate, I said, holding my head. “Oh, please, Gina,” he yelled. “You shaped me! All your foolish…
My mother-in-law has always ruined milestones, so when she “accidentally” knocked over our gender reveal cake, the shock was her smirk. But my SIL’s unexpected turnabout ruined her smile! My mother-in-law is good at destroying milestones. This family mythology has haunted every important moment of our relationship. Let me describe her best devastation hits. Our wedding is a good example. Most mothers-in-law worry about matching the dress code, but she wore a cream outfit so close to white that my wedding planner nearly fainted. “It’s not white,” she said with her decades-old innocence. “It’s mere cream.” Photographs provide a…
Andy and Sarah had given up their guest bedroom to store her parents’ possessions for five years. After learning they were expecting, the couple asked the older couple to remove their possessions, sparking conflict and a surprise reward. Five years ago, my in-laws wanted to downsize. So they searched for the right tiny cottage for two. “We have too much space and too many things,” commented my father-in-law Greg. They asked to store some of their items in our house for a bit. “It’s just the things we want to keep, darling,” Greg informed Sarah, my wife. We didn’t…
