Have you ever sighed deeply after a mistake or mishap and said to yourself, “If only I knew,” or “I wish someone could have told me…”? Well, I did. As mindful as we can try to be, I don’t think anyone likes making mistakes. We all wish we could prevent mishaps and unpleasantness. Predicting the future is impossible, but I eventually understood that I can learn from others’ mistakes and lessons.
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Sole Searching
I took a deep breath and gave away my dance shoes. It was a bittersweet moment. It felt like admitting defeat and releasing pressure on myself at the same time. They were these super chic black leather heels, complete with a suede patch (for easy turns) and padded insoles; Gorgeous, really. A birthday gift from two years ago, I kept them for this long but only occasionally put them on. I always clung to the hope that my feet would magically adjust to them, but that never happened. I could barely stand in those shoes, let alone dance. They were excruciatingly painful.
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I like
As I find myself in a very difficult time in Israel, where I live, this is a deliberately slow-paced ode to my journey to Ithaka.
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The World Is Voting: What Are You Waiting For?
Whew, 2024 is a whirlwind election year. With over 64 countries voting, few places are untouched by political discussion. Every adult I know in the US has a political opinion and they’re very keen to share. We all have stories of how elections impact us, yet often, those voices just aren’t loud enough!
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It’s Playtime! Bringing Fun and Joy to Displaced Children at the French Border
When thinking about services for refugees and displaced people, we often consider food, clothing, shelter, and medical aid. Rarely do we think about play. Yet, “Play is essential for children’s development,” says Rachel Sykes, director of Project Play. Even children caught in the throes of migration need the opportunity to play — something that Project Play provides.
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Shifting Paths: Finding Balance After Burnout in a Global Pandemic
I obtained a master’s degree in environmental science, the crowning climax of my educational saga. However, with 2020 blindsiding us with the COVID-19 pandemic, what should have been my golden ticket to an environmental career eerily morphed into an uncertain labyrinth of jobless dreams. Unemployment engulfed me.
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Phantom Bonfires
Approaching the coast of the North Carolina Outer Banks, Ray slowed the sailboat to a stop, reeled in the sails with the main halyard, and tossed the anchor overboard. The wind rushed around the hull of the Corsair, causing the sails to waver madly. It raced past him as well, picking at his clothes and hair, blowing in his ears, and making goosebumps rise on his skin. His hair was already a windswept nest from the trip over and liable to tempt the coastline birds or evil seagulls.
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Growing up Wasian in Australia
After my first Chinese lesson as an adult, I called my Grandma to tell her what I had learned. I speak my mother’s language — the language of the country I was born in and the language of the country I live in now — but I have never been able to properly learn Chinese, despite being half Chinese myself. My inability to speak Chinese has made me feel like I’m bad at being Asian.
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Falling into Your Orbit
I’ve thought about The way the wind would whip my hair Away from my face just seconds before I find my end there On the rocks below Before your very presence brought A kind of happiness I wasn’t aware existed The kind I thought was mythical, you know?
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Being a Depressed Mom
It’s hard feeling depressed. And it's really hard to be a depressed mother. It takes a lot of effort to get up in the morning and much more effort to take care of others. Depression is thought to be one of the fiercest mental illnesses, one that nearly paralyzes its patients. Nothing is ever easy. Waking up, eating, going to work or school, even going out with friends is difficult.
