Ebony’s Extended Story: Not My Son
Welcome! Learn what influenced my writing for this project. Stop here, if you haven’t read the story yet. Get it here to read it, then come back here.
Story Inspiration
The inspiration for Not My Son was to explore blind loyalty and its potential downfalls. I wanted to show how a mother’s desire to protect her son could lead to catastrophic results that impact the entire family.
Behind The Story
The irony behind the story started with the title. Elegance said throughout the entire story how it wasn’t her son. According to her, he was being picked on by her sister, grandmother and his school. She refused to acknowledge any wrongdoing by her son, until the end. I wanted to highlight how an entire family can be impacted by the decisions of its members and how that internal struggle impacts family member’s relationships with each other. Another element I included was to be careful always defending your child. You can choose to always have your child’s back no matter what… but what does that lead to? What will it cost you? Elegance realized what it cost her by the end of the story. At that point, when she said not my son it had a different meaning.
Top 5 Story Tips
Kids lie. Kids lie to each other, teachers and their parents. Don’t assume your child is always telling the truth.
Listen to the elderly. With age, often comes wisdom. Don’t ignore the elderly folks in your life.
No one is lying on your child. More than likely, what you are being told about your child is true. Kids often act different in different environments.
Husbands and wives must be on the same page. Issues will often arise if couples don’t work together.
It’s ok to have your child’s back, but also acknowledge their wrong-doing. There’s nothing wrong with supporting your child and loving them unconditionally. However, this doesn’t mean ignoring or defending poor behavior.
Talk to Me
Comment to let me know your thoughts. Do parents believe their children too easily? Are you more likely to believe your child over everyone else?
