Rising Strong: Finding Love Within In The Face of Trauma
“There was nothing more I could ask for.” Aiza described her relationship with her former partner for over eight years. He was the most loving father to his son from a previous relationship and a partner who loved with no conditions, treating her family like his own.
Read full storyThe Shape of Goodbye
In the last few months, I was fortunate to have spent time with a few of my closest friends who had the means and time to visit Vietnam. It feels GREAT to have friends over, to speak to each other in Filipino in a foreign country, talk about current events, and show them around my new home.
Read full storyA Filipina teacher in Vietnam writes about learning from her students
During their free time, a couple of students drew this on the board. At first, there were only two steps. I asked them to make it five. ThPhoto by the author. With this new job as a teacher in Vietnam, I find myself - too many times - lost in the chaos of students bursting in and out of classroom doors, running in hallways, and hearing dozens of voices calling for attention.
Read full storyLoving our parents through simple ways at home
My mother walking our youngest pup, Jackie.Photo by the author. I begrudgingly moved back in with my parents in 2019 after more than 10 years of living by myself, working in Makati City, the Philippines’ business district, and living an independent life. I was in my 30s, single, and felt I should be living alone. But due to personal circumstances, I swallowed my pride and went home.
Read full storyMoving to Vietnam: A Story of Starting Over
Ninh Binh, a province in the North of Vietnam.photo by the author. On June 4, I arrived in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam. It's one of the most popular destinations in the country, second to the capital, Hanoi.
Read full storyLove According to the Poets
The greatest poets of our time described love and lovers through timeless pieces that we still appreciate and cherish today. Through these poems, I see that the exhilaration that comes with a new love is the same for everybody. We may be different from one another but love, despite its twists and turns, connects us all.
Read full storyA freelance writer shares reasons for not writing enough
Here's a common struggle for writers and something I face often - thinking more about writing instead of sitting down and doing the actual writing. Sometimes we just don't have the time to write. But most of the time (you know this if you are a writer), we simply don't give our craft the attention it needs and deserves.
Read full storyMaking art during trying times
After finding out she had cancer for the second time, writer and cancer survivor (and now, again, patient) Suleika Jaouad, said these words,. "...in these really difficult moments of transition or upheaval, there's so much benefit to seeking out a form of creative expression. I really believe that survival is its own kind of creative practice."
Read full storySafe and easy travel to Thailand in 2022
Boats on crystal clear waters in ThailandPhoto by Jakob Owens on Unsplash. Traveling to Thailand is now as easy as how it was before except for one thing - your shot. If you've been vaccinated, you need to present your vaccination certificate.
Read full storyPockets of stillness and turning to nature to teach us about life
Tambobong Beach, Pangasinan, PhilippinesPhoto by the author. If you are also caught up in the whirlwind of post-elections anxiety, thinking of 'next steps', or finding your place in the world, then you are just like me.
Read full storyPhilippine politics: A son disowns his mother for her political affiliation
This is not an ordinary son-mother tandem. Let me introduce you to the letter writer, the son, Lorenzo Legarda Leviste, and his powerhouse mother Loren Legarda, a senatorial candidate for the Philippine elections, about to happen in 4 days.
Read full storyAn open letter to the loved one that’s far away
You and I are thousands of miles apart. With travel restrictions, requirements, and whatnots, the maze we are navigating seems to get more complex as months go by. We thought our circumstances would change soon. They didn’t. What makes things more difficult is no one seems to know how and where the maze ends.
Read full storyOpinion: Does he make love easy? He could be the keeper you've been looking for.
‘There’s something special about this. Let’s not hold back.’. This is what he said to me as we were chatting to get to know each other using Whatsapp. A couple of months later, I flew from Manila to Seattle to meet him. We sealed it and we became a couple.
Read full storyOpinion: Using the present moment to overcome suffering
There is no better moment than this. It isn't because I enjoy typing these words. It isn't because writing is my way to express myself. There is no better moment than this because this is all I have. The present is all we have.
Read full storyOpinion: Tears for the person you loved and lost
After a painful break-up, you cry, let the tears fall without a care. At first, it's hard to identify why. All you know is it hurts. Your heart, mind, and soul are going through a painful transition from being in a relationship to being by yourself once again.
Read full storyBooks on health and the importance of rereading
The last 2 years brought the world to its knees. We took comfort in food deliveries, Zoom calls, loungewear, and…old books. I didn’t understand how and why people reread books. There are millions of new materials waiting to get noticed. I used to wonder why people waste hours on a book they have read before.
Read full storyWriting: The last time you took a break
Not writing is an important part of writing. -Ann Patchett. The last two years have been extremely challenging for our family. We waded through serious health problems, COVID-19, the death of family members, and our messy relationships with each other.
Read full storyTo write a book, pull your heart out of your chest.
I had to write this book. That was my truth. Last year, I published my first book of poetry. I worked on it during the most trying time of my life, but it was worth stressing over. That was right after I had a major surgery which I candidly wrote about here.
Read full storyDecluttering for a more organized home and life
I was halfway through Marie Kondo’s book The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up when I saw this video of the author’s interview with Stephen Colbert. Kondo is charming and the concept is disarming.
Read full storyRelationships: Mantras from a Buddhist monk to help us love better
For Buddhists, love is not about gifts. It’s about compassion and kindness. In a relationship, a partner shows these through thoughts, words, and actions. Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh teaches the 6 Mantras in The Art of Communicating. In this book, you will learn how simple yet powerful thoughts, words, and actions can be.
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