Category Archives: Relationships
Mistaken Identity
As shared live on stage for Stoop Storytelling Series (click to hear the audio!): Look at me. What do you see? You’ll probably say a middle-aged Chinese woman who has worked very hard for every single one of these gray … Continue reading
Don’t Forget Who You Are
“Don’t forget who you are. They will take one look at you, and they’ll always remind you that you’re different. You think you’re White, but you’re not. They’ll always treat you different.” I wish I had listened to my mother. … Continue reading
Posted in Parenting, Relationships, Uncategorized
Tagged assimilation, Chinese, immigration, Mother, parenting, racism, relationships
10 Comments
A Box Full of Darkness
“Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too, was a gift.” -Mary Oliver, The Uses of Sorrow Mary Oliver, a poet who once said poetry mustn’t be fancy, … Continue reading
Posted in Mindfulness, Relationships
Tagged divorce, gratitude, lovingkindness, Mary Oliver, Uses of Sorrow
2 Comments
Where are you from?
“North Jersey, right outside of NYC,” I’d always reply. I know what people mean when they ask me. Inevitably, they always follow up with “No, I mean where are you REALLY from?” At which point I’d say, “Oh, right. I … Continue reading
Posted in Empowerment, Relationships
Tagged #crazyrichasians, Chinese, Crazy Rich Asians, racial bias, racial stereotypes, racism, self identity
2 Comments
Be Your Hero
When people think of relationships in February, they usually think about intimate relationships–their spouse, significant other, ex-lover. Too often, people don’t examine the relationship you have with yourself. It’s precisely this relationship you have with yourself that dictates and frames … Continue reading
When Your Heart Breaks Open
I tell you this to break your heart, by which I mean only that it break open and never close again to the rest of the world. -Mary Oliver There was a moment recently whereupon my heart broke wide open. … Continue reading
Posted in Dating, Meditation, Mindfulness, Relationships, spirituality
Tagged broken heart, grace, love, spiritual awakening, spiritual journey
1 Comment
Grace in the Face of Betrayal
We’ve all felt betrayed or duped by people. We’ve all been hurt by people. We’ve all been disappointed by people we believed in, by people we trusted, by people we cared about. I’ve believed in people I should not have. … Continue reading
Posted in Dating, Empowerment, Mindfulness, Relationships
Tagged betrayal, disappointments, grace, lies
5 Comments
Grace: Always the Next Right Thing
I’m processing the end of a relationship, and some moments are better than others. It didn’t work out, but he’s a kind, gentle soul full of grace. That’s what attracted me to him the most. Just because it didn’t work … Continue reading
Gratitude for When Darkness Falls
I lay here listening to the world wake up slowly. Cars start driving down the road on the way to work. Footsteps shuffle to the bathroom. I can almost hear the black of night turn to grey as light slowly … Continue reading
Harvey and a Clockmaker
My paternal grandmother died almost 15 years ago. I accompanied my father back down to Texas to gather her belongings, bury her, and settle her estate. I was born there, but had not been back since I was a … Continue reading
Posted in Mindfulness, Relationships
Tagged #HurricaneHarvey, death, family, floods, grief, Houston, Hurricane Harvey, loss
10 Comments
Thrive Fully Creative 