Archives
On Survivor's Guilt
By Emily RappMay 15, 2013
Three months since the death of her son, Emily Rapp discusses the guilt she faces as life charges on. Today marks the three-month anniversary of my son Ronan’s death. It’s spring now, and he died in late winter, in the early hours of a bitterly cold morning. Now the birds are out, chirping and fighting for nest space on the roof. Green buds have blossomed on the trees in the front ...Posted in Emily Rapp, Life, Mothers, nfti-home, Parents | (0) Comments »
Can You Ever Really Know Someone?
By Christan MarashioMay 12, 2013
The only mother figure in Christan Marashio's life for nearly 40 years was her stepmother, but when she wrote Christan out of her will, Christan was left wondering if the love she always felt from her stepmother was all an act. In June 2012, my father passed away unexpectedly. A valve in his 86-year-old heart needed to be replaced. Without it, doctors gave him at most another two years to live...Posted in Family, Mothers, nfti-home, Parents | (0) Comments »
Thank You, Mom, For Never Letting Me Fall
By Brian HymanMay 12, 2013
Brian Hyman shares the powerful story of the moment he learned that those we love never leave us. "I will not let you fall” is what I said to my mother before we danced at my sister’s wedding on a warm Florida evening. My mother had late-stage brain cancer at the time. Her doctors figured she had a few months to live. She was unable to walk or speak properly. We made quite a pair:...Posted in Family, Mothers, nfti-home, Parents | (0) Comments »
Happy Mother's Day To All Of My Son's Mothers
By Sydne DidierMay 10, 2013
Every year on Mother's Day, Sydne Didier sends her own message of thanks to her son's birth mother and foster mother. The last time I mentioned her, we were playing badminton. As so often happens when I watch him move, so smooth and confident in his body, I think of her. “I wonder if your birth mother is athletic like you,” I said. He stopped, shuttlecock in one hand, racket in t...Posted in Family, Mothers, nfti-home, Parents | (0) Comments »
This Mother's Day, I Am No Longer A Mother
By Emily RappMay 08, 2013
On this first Mother's Day after the loss of her son Ronan, Emily Rapp ponders what it truly means to be a mother. “He was the son of his son—he was here, he was left behind.” – Colum McCann, Let the Great World Spin In preparation for this upcoming Mother’s Day, I’ve been reading a book about the tightrope walker who, in 1974, illegally, with the help of h...Posted in Current Events, Emily Rapp, Family, Mothers, nfti-home, Womanhood | (0) Comments »
On Making The World A Safer Place To Be A Boy
By Susan McLeod-HarrisonMay 05, 2013
It's time to let our boys be themselves in all their variety as human beings, rather than walking representatives of masculinity. Three years ago, I wrote an essay called “Raising an Egalitarian Son” (published in Mutuality Magazine). Our process for doing that was straightforward: Don’t use sexist language; don’t push gender-based activities; and don’t watch TV. ...Posted in Family, Fathers, Gender Roles, Manhood, Mothers, nfti-home, Parents | (0) Comments »
I Wish I'd Heard My Mother Say She Loved Her Body
By Rebecca SparrowMay 02, 2013
My timing could be better. We’re just over a week away from Mother’s Day and here I am writing a post that essentially criticizes my mom. Let me tell you, it makes for uncomfortable writing. And it’s entirely Kate Winslet’s fault. More on that in a moment. You see, I have always seen my mom as amazing. I have looked to her as the benchmark of how to be a mother who is ...Posted in Family, Mothers, nfti-home, Womanhood | (0) Comments »
Involved Dads Don't Deserve Any More Recognition Than Involved Moms
By Lyla CiceroApril 30, 2013
When will people stop treating Lyla Cicero's husband like a saint just for doing his job as a dad? When my husband goes out alone with our children—diaper bag and double stroller in tow—the seas part for him as onlookers pause to gawk at the adorable twins, and their brave, laudable father “giving mom a break” by throwing himself on the sword, spending time with his own...Posted in Family, Fathers, Lyla, Mothers, nfti-home, Parents | (0) Comments »
I'd Like The Chance To Tell My Birth Mother How Great I Turned Out To Be
By Angie MaddisonApril 25, 2013
All we knew of my birth mother was typed on a small sheet of paper: Dutch Australian; blue eyes; 5'3"; fair complexion; 18 years old; Catholic. Her age and religion coupled with the time into which I was born leave no doubt as to why she did not, could not, keep me. Of the many parenting obstacles that saw my mom and dad stumble, the adoption thing was not one. They managed to make me feel th...Posted in Family, Mothers, nfti-home | (0) Comments »
Are We Oversharing About Our Kids To Make Ourselves Feel Better?
By Jessica SmockApril 25, 2013
Is parental oversharing on social media a cry for empathy, and for connection with other parents? What is it about kids' crying and misbehavior that provoke such a reaction in us? It's visceral. Whether your child is 2 weeks old or 2 years old, a child's screams and weird behavior can rip at your inner soul as a parent. Unfortunately, I have a lot of experience in this area. My son had a horr...Posted in Family, Fathers, Internet and Social Media, Mothers, nfti-home, Parents | (0) Comments »
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