From Mama to Bo My dearest Bo, In a few hours, you turn two. Two. I have been your Mama for two full years, and I am still catching myself in mild states of disbelief. You are an extraordinary human being even at your age. You do typical toddler boy things, and also don’t. Your… Continue reading We love you fiercely, we love you softly. (Letters to our son as he turns 2)
As we shut our doors and live our lives 24/7 inside our homes, we think of what we will do once this global pandemic is over. We are gripped by the reality of our mortality. I wanted to un-hear this line from a good friend but I couldn’t: “When this is over, we will all… Continue reading This pandemic will change us all
People see you, and yet they don’t. Instead of looking your way, they are looking way past you. Someone asks you a question, but oddly doesn’t tune in to your response. They make polite conversation with no intent to go beyond scratching the surface. They nod, they linger a little, but they neither see nor… Continue reading Being underestimated is a gift in disguise
Lately, I have been half-lamenting my lack of deeper connections. I have been craving to find that elusive spot where I can safely express my fears and insecurities, navigate my confusions and expose my vulnerabilities with neither judgment nor false comfort. It has been more than two years since we expatriated, leaving the home, people,… Continue reading Missing those deeper connections
Let’s rephrase this question, “What do you want to be?” into “What are the many things you want to be?” We are privileged to live in a time where reinvention is a necessity. When we reflect on our fast-changing world, it goes beyond the insane speed with which technology is taking over our lives; rather,… Continue reading We are all in the process of becoming
It’s 8 o’clock and my baby has been sleeping soundly since I nursed him a little past 6. In a couple of hours, he will squirm and cry in his sleep and I will be running and panting my way up the stairs to comfort him. The rest of the night will be a blur.… Continue reading The Fallacy of Postpartum Bliss
That moment, a very quiet moment, when I hold him close to me and both my arms are wrapped around him. His head is on my shoulder and his chest gently vibrates against mine. I feel his sweet breath at the side of my neck along with soft tiny arms clinging onto me. Everywhere is… Continue reading When the coffee’s cold and life is on hold
“Sometimes chaos is the very thing that deliberately shakes up our neatly ordered worlds in order to get us out of the neatly ordered ruts that have kept us stuck,” says Craig Lounsbrough. I just stumbled into a place commonly called a limbo. There are three big things that may have brought me here: becoming… Continue reading When being lost is okay
Dear Baby Willey, Currently, you’ve been in my tummy for 18 weeks. My app says you’re as big as a sweet potato, about 5.5 inches and 5 ounces. Another app says you’re the size of a croissant, and I’m imagining how your little face is reacting to the size references these pregnancy apps are giving… Continue reading To our baby inside me
We were biking along the streets of Luang Prabang, Laos. It was a December morning and another particularly chilly day (for my tropical standards). The streets were quiet---almost meditative. We stopped at a neighborhood pharmacy, parked our vintage Japanese bikes on the curb, and navigated our way into asking the middle-aged Laotian proprietress for a… Continue reading Really, we’re pregnant?
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