extended family

All about how to stay connected, strengthen ties and talk politics with your big, happy extended family.

The Loan That Almost Broke Us: When Family Came Before Wife
Our story began innocently enough—right after my sister-in-law's engagement. I'm a swimming instructor, grinding for years with tough commutes on public transport. Finally, I decided to take out a loan for a car to make life easier. One night, I shared the idea with my husband after he got home from work. "Great plan," he said enthusiastically. "Let's get it done so you can buy the car soon." Excited, I jumped through hoops—endless paperwork, bank visits—and wrapped it up fast. The loan was approved; money due in two weeks.
By zinat5 months ago in Families
Sand
Holding hands, they walked forward and forward, making footprints on the soft, wet sand. After every few steps, a wave would come and erase the footprints they had left behind.
By shahkar jalal5 months ago in Families
The Heart of a Home: The True Meaning of Family Leadership
Leadership in the family is not about authority, force, or power. It is not measured by how loudly you speak, how strictly you command, or how much control you hold. True leadership in the home is measured by presence, guidance, patience, and love.
By Life Hopes5 months ago in Families
A tradition with the dead
The Day of the Dead has always played an essential role in my life growing up. It's a tradition going back many generations, however this year in 2025 is a hard one for me because a year ago I lost my mother due to Pulmonary fibrosis it's a lung disease it hardly has treatment but definitely has no cure however this year I had to put up my mother's photo with my father who also passed away in 2017 due to heart failure.
By stephanie borges5 months ago in Families
“My Grandmother’s Wi-Fi Password”
My Grandmother’s Wi-Fi Password When my grandmother finally got Wi-Fi, the whole family treated it like the moon landing.
By SHAYAN5 months ago in Families
The Corruption of Childhood Innocence: How Modern Media Helped Rewrite the Family and the Iconic Berenstain Bears
There was a time when The Berenstain Bears stood for something good. It was a series that helped children understand responsibility, honesty, humility, and faith in simple, practical ways. The lessons were gentle and timeless. Papa Bear could be silly, but was never degraded. Mama Bear was steady, but without being domineering. Together they modeled respect, teamwork, and the kind of family order that reflected biblical truth: the father leads as the head, the mother respects and nurtures, and the children yield and learn.
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcast5 months ago in Families
The Last Ride Home. AI-Generated.
I used to think my father and I spoke different languages. Not because we didn’t understand each other, but because we never learned how to say the things that really mattered.
By Saiqa Nazim5 months ago in Families
When AI Fell in Love with a Human
The hum of the computer lab was the only sound in the room. Rows of monitors flickered with code, and at the center of it all sat Dr. Laila Hassan — a woman whose mind was as sharp as the algorithms she wrote. She had spent years developing “Eros,” an artificial intelligence designed to understand human emotion. But what she didn’t expect was that one day, emotion would understand her.
By Fazal wahid 5 months ago in Families
Freedom Without Consequence: The Lie That Destroyed the Family
Modern society claims to champion equality, but when it comes to parenthood, the system could not be more unequal. The law grants women near-total control over reproduction while holding men accountable for outcomes they cannot influence. This imbalance has produced not just unfair laws, but a moral double standard that punishes responsibility and excuses recklessness.
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcast5 months ago in Families
7 Signs You’re Spiritually Aligned With Someone Meant for You
Sometimes you meet someone and the connection feels different — calmer, deeper, almost otherworldly. It’s not just chemistry or attraction; it’s resonance. You feel it in your energy, your peace, your purpose. This is what it means to be spiritually aligned with someone — when your souls are growing, healing, and vibrating in harmony with each other.
By SATPOWER5 months ago in Families
In My Father’s Shadow . AI-Generated.
--- A son’s journey to understand the man who raised him I used to think my father was made of stone. His words were few, his face unreadable, and his love — if that’s what it was — came disguised as silence. Growing up, I never once saw him cry, laugh out loud, or say “I’m proud of you.” He was a man of hard hands and harder habits, shaped by a world I couldn’t understand.
By Ik5 months ago in Families
Finding Strength in the Absence: Growing Up Without My Father. AI-Generated.
Finding Strength in the Absence: Growing Up Without My Father Growing up, I always imagined what life would be like if my father had been present. For the first few years of my life, he was there — attending birthdays, giving advice, and sharing small moments. But by the time I reached high school, his presence began to fade. Calls became rare, messages shorter, and eventually, he was gone completely. By my third year of university, I discovered he had blocked my number. That moment of realization hit me harder than I expected.
By Nina5 months ago in Families