Slideshow by Grant Ledoux

Beginning Stage

gledoux2 — 2024-06-11 16:47:49 UTC

My dad's story: My mother was an exotic dancer(?), and my dad met her. They left together. Later they went to a karaoke bar and developed a relationship.

My mom's story: They met in the karaoke bar, and continued their relationship development.

Childbearing Stage

gledoux2 — 2024-06-11 16:48:04 UTC

They got married, and gave birth to my sister Brittany, My brothers Alan and Devin, and then me. They lived in Farmington New Hampshire. They moved apart, my mom to Pennsylvania and Dad to Hillsboro.

My brothers, Devin and Alan got the "golden age." They saw the two together, loving. My sister Brittany lived with her father and didn't interact with us. My sister Faith (Charlie now), was the start of their problems because of financial stress and frustration. Once they got a better job, in an effort to save their marriage, they had me. After I turned four years old, they divorced.

Parenting Stage

gledoux2 — 2024-06-11 16:49:42 UTC

My parents often fought, and eventually divorced. Both claim the other cheated (personally, I think they both did but blame the other.). They remarried, my mom married my stepfather and my dad married my stepmom. Both sets of parents have their own problems.

I once walked in on my mom cheating on my dad, and later that week, walked in on dad cheating on mom.

Family event 1-4 are under parenting.

Launching Stage

gledoux2 — 2024-06-11 16:50:00 UTC

Loss + Family members (extended)

My family, mostly my Aunt, was beneficial to me. They understood my situation, and helped me with what they could.

One time they picked me up while my parents were fighting.

Midyears Stage

gledoux2 — 2024-06-11 16:50:39 UTC

My parents sent to live with some friends, due to financial trouble. I currently live with Xavier White, and his family.

A few years prior to this, but still in their midyears Stage, I split my skull open for the first time against a filing cabinet. I told another kid at daycare that his Thomas the tank engine toy looked horrible, and in response, he grabbed my head and slammed it against the filing cabinet repeatedly.

Aging Stage

gledoux2 — 2024-06-11 16:51:05 UTC

My dad's aging has caused him to develop MS, which will eventually require someone to do the "Sandwiching". That will probably not be me. His aging has incredibly affected his health.

He once forgot about getting us after a family party, and later remembered, freaked out when he picked us up.

Family Event number 1

gledoux2 — 2024-06-12 12:50:24 UTC

My aunt yelled at my father for not teaching me how to drive, or important life skills. He claimed to be feeling unwell, but extended family didn't like that excuse. This ties into my childhood because it showed me how everyone else was being raised, and made me look at how I was with a more negative light, realizing it was rude and unusual.

Family Event 2

gledoux2 — 2024-06-12 12:50:51 UTC

When I was in fifth grade, another student split my skull open again. This time, it was for an earth day project. We were digging a hole to plant some flowers, and I asked another student to "toss me that trowel.". He took that too literally, and tossed it directly into my skull. This also relates to my childhood, because my parents stopped arguing for once to support my recovery. Although the silence between them was nice, it didn't last long.

Family Event 3

gledoux2 — 2024-06-12 12:50:58 UTC

My parents argued about who should take me. This allowed for lots of back and forth between the two. They'd pick me up from school, trying to take me from the other. This didn't bode well for my father in court, since he didn't have legal custody of me. This affected my childhood because I saw my parents fighting each other over my siblings and I, and made me feel like I was the reason they got divorced.

Family Event 4

gledoux2 — 2024-06-12 12:51:05 UTC

My final memory I'll be sharing was when I moved down to live with my mother, during freshmen year. My father had gotten custody of me in middle school due to my mother moving in with my new and current stepfather in Pennsylvania. The courts agreed dad would be better for now, but I eventually decided to live with mom again. Dad and Carolyn (my stepmom) were upset, but couldn't stop me. They tried to talk me out of moving in with mom, but I didn't want to listen due to how Carolyn and Dad treated me. I wish I hadn't moved down there, because I had some of the worst experiences and best of my childhood. This affected my childhood by showing me how horrible and miserable some people are.