• My Father the Imposter

  by Sanovia Williams

  When asked about my father, I usually respond, “For the longest I can remember, it was just my mom and me. I can’t remember a time when it wasn’t,” which isn’t entirely true. I have early memories of my father spoiling me with clothes so I could feel comfortable and look my best.

• War Transformed Our Family

  by V. T.

  Growing up, everyone in my family was afraid of my mom. When she got angry, she would turn into a tiger. She’d scream loudly, and her voice turned throaty and scary. Sometimes, she even hit my younger sister and me.  Dad would also avoid mom when she wasn’t in a good mood.

• Home in My Heart

  by Arina Limarieva

  When I was 5, I had lived my whole life in Luhansk, Ukraine. Then, in April 2014, Russia  invaded Luhansk and another nearby region, Donetsk. Russia declared them independent states and renamed them Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic.   These name changes are part of how the Russian government tries to erase the Ukrainian identities of people who live there.

• Accepting My Mom’s Limits

  by R.P.

  When I was 8 years old, I asked my mother why I’d never met her parents. She said, “My dad was a very cruel man, and every night, he would come into my room and do terrible things to me. My mother knew, and she did nothing to help me.”

• ‘Grief Is Like the Ocean’

  by Anonymous

  My father died of cancer in June of 2020, a few months into the COVID-19 pandemic. At first he was diagnosed with a chronic, but not fatal, inflammatory arthritis that affects the spine and large joints. But after his condition continued to deteriorate, a trip back to the hospital revealed that he had metastatic brain cancer.

• Moving Forward On My Own 

  by Arna Asad

  When I was 6, my father took my two brothers and me to New York’s famous Far Rockaway beach. Humongous waves slammed on us, and we were fascinated by our first experience on American sand. I didn’t know how to swim, so I clung to the safety that the shallow water provided.