My father was in seminary and my mother was working for the same institution where my father was. I was rather unexpected since my mother...

My parents first arrived in this town after immigrating from Algeria during the national crisis in the 80s. Since its independence...

For the first 16 years of my life, I never had the courage to stand up for myself. I let people walk all over me. I was meek and lived...

I think the hardest question for me to answer is also one of the simplest: “Where are you from?” I often find myself pausing before...

It’s hard to close the doors to the past. Though sometimes, it is necessary to move on, because that closed door often opens another...

My father worked three jobs at one point, so my mother could stay home with my big sister, little brother, and me. Though my sister is...

I’ve lived a life of self-reliance and I believe that there are times in which this is our only choice. But if you have the chance...

The doctors rushed to her aid in a frenzy, not only because she had suffered domestic abuse, but also because she was pregnant with me...

Living life and fully enjoying it needs both a deliberate tact and perseverance. As long as you have a will, no mountain peak will ever...

My mom worked tirelessly to make money with multiple jobs while my dad refused to work more than one job. To make matters worse, my dad...

You might look at my life and ask, “How many times do you have to fail?” I ask, “How many times do I have to try...

Dad was in the Airforce, and we got posted to Hobsonville Airforce Auckland in 1973. Growing up in the Airforce community was fun...

I had an easy upbringing. My father was a school teacher, and my mother a housewife. Our family was close-knit, and we all supported each...

At 43, I’ve lost a lot in my life. I’ve lost homes, family members, and jobs. Though I lose things, I fight to gain back what’s possible...

We lived in a tiny, one-bedroom abode, because my father did not make much money being a school teacher. He was often innovative, once...

My life can be best compared to a Lifetime movie. When I tell people about my upbringing, it’s unbelievable to them, but it happened...

In my early 20s, I lost a big part of myself. The person who I used to be was being smothered by grief and guilt. The things I once...

I had read in the Bible about miracles, but I had big doubts about them ever happening to me. Because of my beliefs, I was always...

I proudly held back tears from falling off my cheeks. Nothing has ever felt overwhelmingly good. I could not stop waving at the cheering...

I grew up thinking I was disposable. Throughout my childhood, I was passed around to several houses until my mother decided to take me...