Belonging The Boy who Played with Girls: Part 2 Beneath the surface of grades, honor badges, and track and field medals hid these clumsy and tender moments of early childhood in Chengdu. But Fangtan, the boy who always played with girls, was never clumsy.
Parenthood A Strong Back 2: Part 3 In parenting reality, the truth seems to always lie in the uncomfortable grey of “Do whatever works, because every family is different.”
Parenthood A Strong Back 2: Part 2 My mind’s eye both marveled at and struggled to grasp the vast, instinctual knowledge of the maternal body, joy, pain, and all.
Parenthood A Strong Back 2: Part 1 For a new mother whose body has weakened from pregnancy and giving birth, strength is almost non-negotiable and therefore inevitable, no matter how long it takes.
Grief The Red Papasan Chair My daughter planted a seed in my mind, a promise to both of my children that I’d hold my son to sleep in the red papasan chair for as long as he allowed. In a way, I’d be holding my daughter too.
Body and Mind A Strong Back The spine doctor warned me that pregnancy would probably make disc herniation worse. It turns out he was wrong.
Grief A Very Short Piece for My Daughter This was a piece originally written for Time To Talk TFMR podcast in November 2023, and captured perhaps only 0.1% of my daughter’s story.
Parenthood When a Layoff Means More Than a Job Loss An introspective piece written in February 2024 on navigating layoff during maternity leave
Therapy Words Working with Ross Geller in Therapy Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Ross’ divorce lawyer once suggested that he consider therapy, but he never did. This essay examines the “what if” scenario of Ross seeking therapy, including how ACT may help Ross, and detailed treatment plan.
