Learning to Trust Myself
Names have been changed. Growing up, I believed my family was a close one. My siblings and I spent time together, and we traveled every year to new places as a family. We lived in an apartment in East Harlem and I felt comfortable living with my parents, who mostly seemed to care for me. […]
Read MoreFinding Luck
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Luck said sadly, patting my shoulder. The February air was cold and the trees bare. I brushed wet leaves from the damp picnic table and laid my backpack across it like a casket. I unzipped the backpack and pulled out the battered black Chromebook, covered in scratches from my dogs. […]
Read MoreWar Transformed Our Family
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. When I heard […]
Read MoreAccepting My Mom’s Limits
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.” When she was in 4th […]
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