Life
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On being part of a family (and why you can’t opt out of caring)
There was a night when I thought about what family actually meant. It wasn’t about obligation; it was about showing up to lift a member when they are struggling without waiting for them to cry for help. Being in a family means you are willing to carry a load that’s not even yours to carry… Read more
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Name it, claim it
When the “name it and claim it” sermon ended, I felt that familiar knot in my stomach again. Something about speaking prosperity into existence felt eerily familiar—like something I’d seen before, but wrapped in different packaging. When I was young, my sister and I watched The Secret when it aired on cable TV. It was… Read more
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Late-night musings #31
I was trying to remember the quote that tells about how forgetting the past condemns one to repeat it. After an online search, the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy was correct to say that the quote is often inaccurately quoted, just like I did. “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” The… Read more
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Programmed to be chronically sleep deprived
In my sleep-deprived moments, I struggle to think deeply and clearly. There’s a thin cloud that warps my thoughts and keeps me from recalling things I want to remember during conversations or at work. At times, a colleague would say something, and I would ask them to repeat it a couple of times before I… Read more
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How a stray cat made us a family: One year with Novo
The story of how we adopted Novo, a wounded stray cat who appeared at our window, and how he transformed our marriage and taught us about home, commitment, and family. Read more
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No such thing as self-made
“Self-made.” What a deceitful way to say that we have arrived where we are by ourselves, without receiving any form or kind of help. I used to believe I earned everything I had. But looking back to where I really started, utterly dependent on my mother for nearly everything, I can see it now: every… Read more
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Letter no. 51
Dear reader from the future, I just watched Tron: Ares last night. Two computer programs faced off—Ares and Athena—and their exchange struck a chord in me. “You’re out of time.” “And you’re out of lives.” The words hung and popped out from the screen, and I found myself thinking: what’s the difference? When we run… Read more
jessa 