Last fall was so crazy that I just stopped blogging. All I did was work. Which left me exhausted. Then, I reflected on my life by looking at three categories: what was, what’s new, what’s now. And then, I saw the hole in my heart, the truth: I was an empty-nesting mom in transition. Oh, it’s hard to stop being …
If you want to feel better, meditate now
I used to be scared of meditating. What if I tried it and nothing happened? Then I’d feel like a spiritual failure. But then, I learned that meditating is as natural as breathing. That’s why I meditate now. And life is better for it. Now, I breathe. When I’m in the grip of overthinking, I breathe to help myself. Paralyzing pressure …
How to use hyphens and dashes to look smart
A lot of smart people worry about how to use hyphens and dashes. Sadly, their insecurity makes them nervous about writing. I’d say 60%-80% of my college students need help with this issue. But once they learn the basics, they find such freedom in expressing themselves. So let’s figure out how to use hyphens and dashes. It’s time to boost …
Accepting my dad for who he is
This year, I’m giving my dad a very special Father’s Day gift: unconditional love. So what if he’s been dead for 41 years. Remember, parents never really die. Besides, it’s never too late, right? My father crushed his family — Mom, my kid sister, me — with tough love. As a cranky Vietnamese-Chinese immigrant struggling with survival issues in America, …
Let’s share immigrant stories as #MoreThanALabel
I’m thrilled that America’s future social workers have asked me to join their campaign against immigrant discrimination. To stop the name-calling, abuse and violence, they are using a very 21st century weapon: the hashtag. #MoreThanALabel is the brainchild of social work graduate students at Simmons College. They want us to attach #MoreThanALabel to anything we post on social media that refers …
Summer clean-up with my blog subscribers (that means you)
I owe you all huge thanks. As my blog readers, you’ve just made two big dreams come true. Those of you who subscribe — or who plan to subscribe after reading this post — are super-special. The ability to reach you personally via email is blogger gold. Your loyalty makes you royalty. So to treat you right, I’m here to …