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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

Write about someone who didn’t get along with their family as a child, but has since found an appreciation for them.

Posted in Teens on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 112 stories

“Memory Bank” by Jaron Schade

Submitted to Contest #69

What is it that makes us family? Is it the places we live in with each other? Is it the surname we are given to identify ourselves ? What is it? Is it even love? Each family is different. So different that what makes them whole is different all together . Let me tell you all a story to show you what I mean , something that happened around 1999 but to tell you what happened I need to go back to the very beginning . I was born in the year 1975 and left on the front porch of another family. My parents always told me "We love you Brent more than...

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“Remedy” by Ben Kun

Submitted to Contest #69

“Lucas, you did really well today.” “Thank you.” Just by the riverside sat a teenaged boy alongside another man, he seemed slightly older than him. On a guess, one would say in his early twenties. The similarities between the two were strikingly similar, from their sable coloured eyes to their button noses. They both even had brown hair, with the only difference being the younger one's hair was longer. It might have been hard to distinguish the two from a far. After all, they were brothers. “But I like the way you play more, brother.” Th...

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“Welcome Home” by LaKeisha Hart

Submitted to Contest #69

Kessa Barns hadn't seen her family in person for nearly ten years. Other than the yearly holiday FaceTimes at Thanksgiving and Christmas, she kept as little contact as was polite. The choice was her own. She'd simply decided, save for her brother there wasn't a single one of her siblings, or parents for that matter, she desired to remain close with. They'd all made it perfectly clear to her, on that last Thanksgiving holiday she'd spent with them, that they could've lived their entire lives better had she never been born.  Kessa had k...

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“Auntie Murielle's Christmas log ” by Méliss Lgrd

Submitted to Contest #69

When one evokes Christmas, I don't know what comes first to my mind: Is it the strong scent of the scented candles "Fir Thorns" in Aunt Murielle's house, or the disgusting Christmas Yule Log of the latter? Last year she made a Yule Log with white chocolate and passion fruit on Christmas Eve. Even today, I still have the feeling that the horrible variant of this delicious traditional French dessert haunts me. The sponge cake was dry, and the overflowing vanilla butter mousse that covered it, or should I say, suffocated it, far too sweet. Whos...

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“Beth's Testament” by Katie Morris

Submitted to Contest #69

Sarah May held her thirteenth birthday party at the Knights of Columbus right next to school. The invitation was the fancy kind that was advertised in the back of the catalogs, personalized with the name of each member of our class. On the back of it, in loopy, glittery, cursive, it said “Friday, 5:00-8:00,” with a few words underneath that looked Italian, or maybe French. We had both Church and Sunday School on Sundays, and weren’t allowed to go out on school nights, so when my mother let out a barely-audible sigh while reading over my shou...

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“Our Hearts Belong to Her” by Rachel Cerbito

Submitted to Contest #69

It was on the 10th of December, our house was surrounded by a fancy table design, colorful balloons, and flavorsome chocolate cake that I liked the most. Many children wore various costumes. Each of them brought an enormous present. The funny clown told hilarious stories that made the guests cackled with laughter. The environment is shrouded with pleasure.     "Stephanie are you ready to go outside?" with great enthusiasm on her face. She was my first supporter, my life and everything, my mom. I was so blissful and f...

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“HIDDEN LOVE” by Sragvi Reddy

Submitted to Contest #69

The knock on the door made me come out of my thought session." come in", I said turning around from the mirror to see who it was "oh dad" he looked at me and let out a gentle sigh "hi honey your mom always wanted to give this to you when she thought was time but I think you need to have a look at it before you go" he placed a cream envelope on my study desk and closed the door behind him. I moved the suitcases nearby and plopped on my bed opening the envelope to see what it was about, "Eleanor" I started to read out loud when I heard my phon...

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“Merry Christmas or Whatever” by Joe Kavanagh

Submitted to Contest #69

Shamus would be the first one here. He always was. Tommy and Taegyn would be here before supper. Tommy wanted to be with Karen’s family on Christmas day this year so last week our family changed their plans to be together on Christmas eve instead. Only a major reconstruction of our lives to ensure our little brother who obviously didn’t want to be here was with us for 4-5 hours this year. Do I sound bitter. Maybe. It was more disappointment than bitter. I have come to realize over the years that family bonding is not a ...

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“It Had Been So Long.....” by Hudson Kelly

Submitted to Contest #69

It had been a long time since I had been home for the holidays and I dont know what made me make this impromptu journey; but soon I had a bag packed and was in my car driving from New York to Philadelphia. No one knew of my arrival. The family was preparing for a holiday tradition of coming together and giving thanks but little did they know William would be coming home but for now plates were being set on the table, pies were cooling and children could be heard talking about the new PS5. "Should we stop setting a place for him?" "Moth...

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“Family Holiday Dinner” by Dom Crocitto

Submitted to Contest #69

I was walking along a road one lonely night, and I came across some men in suits, standing by a limousine. They came up to me, and one said,”Where have you been? The dinner guests are waiting for you.” Before I could respond, they gently pushed me towards the limo. I thought to myself, “I’m kind of hungry and curious, so let’s see what’s up.”I didn’t know who they thought I was, and why my road worn clothes didn’t seem to matter, which I thought was odd. I asked, “Who are you guys?” One responded, “We’re the waiters, sir.” Then we arrived at...

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“Changelings” by Sara Blanch

Submitted to Contest #69

Growing up amongst the Fae as a changeling had been hard enough being as different as she was, it was especially obvious now as she looked back...her childhood had been crap. Although it had been several years since she had found out the news, it didn't make the concept any easier to grasp...she was adopted and not only was her host family not related to her...they weren't even the same species as her.  It should have been obvious to her, especially in the human adolescent years when the Fae were growing wings and pointy ears and she wa...

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“I NOW UNDERSTAND” by Linda Maroney

Submitted to Contest #69

At 5 years of age I remember everytime I chose to do something I was always stopped. There would be tears I felt so sad no one in my family understood how I felt. I felt trapped being the youngest child of five everything was done for me including speaking. I knew how to speak but kept silent. I had three older brothers Josh, Paul, Stephen and my sister Michelle who was the second youngest. Josh my eldest brother went off to the army and wrote to me often, he was the only one that seemed to understand me and always asked how I felt. I never ...

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“Conversations with my Mother” by Tito Silva

Submitted to Contest #69

A Conversation with my Mother I walk up to her front door and pause. I take a deep breath in through my nose filling my lungs beyond capacity, holding it for as long as I can. Maybe the stress in my lungs will somehow make the conversation easier. My eyes close, and they have that stinging feeling I get when I am about to cry. I am not sad or scared or even particularly worried about the inevitable conversation. Yet, something inside of me still feels like I am that little boy trying desperately to get his mother’s attention. Like I am stil...

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“My Past” by Kelly Brackett

Submitted to Contest #69

      I was seventeen years old when my grandfather passed away. When I was little, he was my superhero, so I followed him around where ever he went, I was not too far behind. I did not much care for the rest of my family, however, and spent a majority of my childhood arguing with them. When he passed away, I lost the foundation for everything I had. But I was not the only one. My grandmother suffered as a result of this too, having spent almost fifty years of her life by his side. It was a very dark time for my...

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“Now I Understand” by Stephanie Postma

Submitted to Contest #69

I remembered as a child I would sit at the top of the stairs, peeking my fingers through the baby gate, trying to get a glance at the tree that was safely hidden downstairs. My mom would try to persuade my siblings and me to leave the gate, to sit at the table and eat some breakfast or watch some Christmas movies on the couch. If she got really desperate, she would offer a cup of pop before lunchtime. Usually, my siblings were persuaded but I refused to leave. I preferred to sit and wait until it was time. Once, I spent all day in front of t...

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