My writer friend, Ardis of The Reflective Pen, recently wrote a poignant blog post about crying. In it she describes how too soon after our celebrated first cries out of our mother’s womb, we are hushed to be quiet, to be strong—no need for tears. She invites her readers to reflect on whether a person can live without tears. And whether that is even healthy. As I read her words, she sees stifling...
Yet another year ends and a new one starts. I’m characteristically not disposed to list my accomplishments, nor my goals. Resolutions? Forget about that! 2025 for many of us—me included—was a mixed bag of uneasy mess, humdrum days, and grand moments of merriment and joy, as we went about our everyday living. And, oh my dear, the year whizzed by all too fast. Did yours? Yet I can point to...
A time sensitive invitation. Have you ever wished you’d captured the life stories of a loved one before they were gone? Or maybe you’ve wondered what stories and wisdom of your own you should leave behind? That box of old photos in the attic, those holiday traditions whose origins are now fuzzy, or that family recipe with missing steps because grandma just knew how much flour...
A recurring theme in this online journal, thus far loosely focused on my heroine’s journey with cancer, has been letting go and acceptance. Like the times I wrote about letting go of our stuff, of outcomes, and of emotions like FOMO. Or when I shared my insights about what surrender means to me. These reflections are more often than not universal and apply to everyday living. Life challenges come...
I joined a six-week journaling circle. Just to see whether that would inspire me to write again. This week the prompt during our session was, in brief: if your life metaphorically was a boat, what kind of vessel would you be traveling in? Others in our group spoke about being in a canoe, pleasure boat, even barges. I settled on a sailboat. Not a small dinghy sailboat, but a larger one that needs...
Every decade, I’ve marked my birthday with something unforgettable. At 30, I woke up in London, had champagne in a pub, and made it to a party in Versailles by dinner. At 40, I threw a rooftop bash with a live band in Manila. At 50, I lunched with friends on Victoria Peak in Hong Kong and hiked down through a tropical forest. At 60, my honey and I floated over Moldova’s capital in a hot air...
One evening recently, my honey and I were eating dinner when he suddenly remembered that we hadn’t looked for a specific spice at the grocery store that day. “It wasn’t on the list,” I said. “True. But we also forgot to bring the list,” he retorted with a laugh. Then, looking at it, he saw we’d forgotten a few more items. We both laughed at our own...
Pain is one of those things we all fear, isn’t it? Whether it’s a sharp jab or a dull ache, the idea of something hurting can often feel worse than the reality. Anxiety feeds into it, making the unknown even scarier. I’ve learned that over the last few years of navigating breast cancer. Today, I want to share my experience with a needle biopsy done a few days ago—not to dwell on the pain, but to...