JFK – TPE
I did not think I was acting foolishly. As an entitled American, I showed up at JFK with a Taiwanese passport that expired in 1998. …
The Open Season of College Admission
Yesterday I read an LA Times article called “Helping teens weather the blow of college rejection letters.” My son is a junior in high school, …
JOURNEY TO FIFTY: MY ADVICE TO GEN Z
I wish someone had told me these things. Not in passing, not through social media. But sit me down, eyeball-to-eyeball, telling me what I am …
Blaming it All on the Himalayas: A Provocative Analysis of Race Relations
The mob erupted, clanged, and pealed under #BlackLivesMatter and #StopAsianHate in a cacophonous harmony. There I was, letting out a breathless squeak. My voice didn’t …
Losing My Religion II: Five Things They Don’t Tell You When You Sit in the Pews
After three years of blogging on the Green Owl, I had it. I had no idea who reads these gut-wrenching posts. I am clueless about …
Sweet Potatoes or Solar Panels: Create and Hustle for the Good of Others
One of my fonder childhood memories is the Japanese sweet potato cart with the wood-burning stove and a granny, in a small frame, pushing a …
My Clutter Story II
I have heard enough. Many women say they are a horror when it comes to household management. While tips for good housekeeping abound, most notably …
The Loss
Most people will grieve at least three times in a lifetime, over parents, siblings, spouse, and…maybe a child. My time of bereavement has not come. …
How We Survived Five Days Without Power
Fast and furious would be the words to describe an unlikely wind storm named Isaias. (It’s not pronounced “Isaiah-s” like the prophetic book of the …
An Idiot’s Rant about American Politics and Hope for both Trump Supporters and Haters
I did not want to write about politics. Political analysis is not my strength. My strength is in storytelling – this is what people tell …
Boys Don’t Cry, But Fathers Do
I was 21, not even dating, but I was already thinking about my big day. I would use it as an arsenal against my father. …
Life through COVID-19: A Perspective from an Ordinary New York Mom
Day 1 | March 9 I started counting on March 9. March 8 was the last day I was in a public gathering. I worshipped …
Losing My Religion
I enrolled in Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary last fall and took a course called “Life of Jesus.” I thought it would be a slam-dunk because I …
A Field Trip to the Wild, Wild West
The Plane I am very used to it by now – walking past the business class into the coach where we belong. I am also …
My Clutter Story
PROLOGUE On the day I go to my heavenly home, I will have in my possession only a handful of heirlooms – my engagement ring, …