Writing has been tough lately. Sometimes we need a fun challenge to get things going. Here’s my entry for Vivian Kirkfield’s 50 Precious Words contest!

Even though things have been a roller coaster, I've been spending more time with my 3-year-old and I've come to appreciate some valuable lessons I've gained from the additional time with her.

There have been countless resources to help stay sane during this period of time. A lot of people have shared online classes and educational resources.

These are the things that come to mind of what I want to do (in no particular order) immediately when we all feel safe again to go out and about our 'normal' lives before the pandemic took over.

As my feet hit the pavement and later the trail near our apartment, I started thinking about the different phases of running in my life.

Today, the kiddo was having a very rough time.

Everything was setting her off. Her screams reverberated around our small apartment walls, her tears streamed down and left salty trails on her cheeks.

I have been thinking about this particular birthday for many years.

Every ‘big’ birthday before this one was deemed a milestone because of the cultural and societal expectations that came with the number.

I recently wanted to numb myself from real life for a moment, so I started scrolling on social media. And, unsurprisingly, I came across one of those sponsored posts from a ‘life guru.’

I’ve been reflecting about my writing journey and I realized - just like any protagonist in a story - there are so many crucial people that help along the way.

Every year, without fail, when it is my child’s birthday I find myself awash in emotions. The past years flood back into my memory and I am astounded at how a human can grow and change in just a year. But not just a year, in multiple years.

For a long while, I’ve had to get over a lot of internalized racism. My path to being anti-racist is ongoing, and I still have so much to learn. With all the rising hate against Asians and Asian Americans (though it has always existed before), it has really surfaced a lot of complex emotions for me.

We're tired from the mental load we've been carrying when we try to balance all the "must-do" and "to-do" and "what-do-I-do?" things that come with the basic logistics of life. And we're tired from riding the waves of grief, whether it's the loss of a loved one, a job, or a sense of stability.

Thanksgiving was a welcome pause in the year to reflect. It often meant being grateful for all the blessings that I have in my life, even though I know that gratitude can’t really be something we only do once a year.

My real nightmare was just beginning.

The bus stopped with a lurch and I nearly bashed my face against the seat. I heard Katie’s malicious snicker. Our class was doing a project on local legends, and we were touring Sleepy Hollow.