jessa

Everyday Stories, Lived

Relationships

  • Moving out

    Moving out

    I can still remember how I found out about the vacancy post of what eventually became our apartment unit. I was about to be married and desperate to secure a place for my husband and me to live once we did. Counting the days before we finally move in together, I saw an ad on… Read more


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  • Diving deeper

    I had a dream I had a dream, and in it, my husband said we should find a pearl. But then, after some contemplation, he said, “Why not let’s look for an oyster, and perhaps we’d find more pearls than we could ever have than just by looking for THAT ONE PEARL.” We thought about… Read more


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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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  • 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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  • 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


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  • When your friends become consumables

    After spending a lot of time on social media, watching families’, friends’, and acquaintances’ days unfold through their stories, reels, and posts, I realized I hadn’t actually spoken to them in deep conversations or even casual catch-ups. I know some snapshots about their lives, but I am not sure if I really know them at… Read more


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