real, raw motherhood
Dear officials and lawmakers, YOU are failing her. SHE is a seven year old innocent little girl. Born and raised in Kailua, Hawaii, what used to be one of the safest place on earth but she knows fear daily. She doesn’t feel safe in her small hometown. Every time we go out, we see someone…
We made it to the new year. We’re the lucky ones. Even if you don’t believe in making resolutions, pause a moment and take a deep breath. You are alive. What are you going to do with that life? I plan on enjoying mine. I went through a few dark months in the second half…
I spend a great deal of time and mental energy trying to make sense of the mystery of life. In a moment of infinite clarity, it finally came to me. There is no making sense of life. There is only living it. Life is not as complicated as we think. It is magnificently simple. Be…
So you’re having a baby. We’ve all seen it in the movies: a tiny swaddled bundle sleeps peacefully in his crib; mom is standing by the door smiling, her husband’s arms wrapped around her shoulders as they steal a quick glance at the miracle they created together before they peacefully head to bed to make…
It’s official. I am not her hero any more. I thought I would have had more time. But seven years is all I got. Halloween was last night. For the past three years, we’ve gone to the same neighborhood a few minutes drive from our house. Before sunset, everyone costumed gathers for an informal parade…
It’s been two years. I actually don’t remember many of the details now. I dropped him off and waited for the hospital to call me. When they did, about nine hours later, they informed me that the total colectomy procedure had gone well. When I saw my husband in the recovery ward, he was enjoying…
Homeschooling is not for everyone but it’s always been our first choice. I feel strongly that it is the right fit for our family and yet I have had my share of days longing for the yellow bus to stop by my front door. Last year was a hard one. More days than not, I…
I did it. Faced the fears. Silenced the excuses. By telling my daughter that today would be the day, I had given myself no way out. The next generation was watching and learning. It only took five minutes to walk there. We went up one escalator, then two flights of stairs. “If the line is…
We were at the beach enjoying a Thursday lunch picnic. The weather was perfect. Sunshine. Blue sky. Gentle breeze. We had made camp on the sand under the shade of the pine trees. We had feasted on egg filled tortillas, fresh cut vegetables and fruits. Our tummy full, we had lied down for a short…
This essay was written a few days after I wrote the previous one I published. It explains the why of it and how I was able to change my frame of mind. It must first be understood how I came to feel the way I felt in the dark hours of that hot summer morning.…