self-expression

First thing is first…Happy New Year and a magnanimous thank you to my followers and readers. Being a virtual unknown in the sphere, I didn’t expect a bandwagon of followers, so I am extremely grateful for my sixty-two. Your support has given a level of confidence that I lacked.

Joining Medium gave me a judgment-free space to explore my writer’s voice, to follow other writers whose writing style intrigued me, to learn from more experienced writers, and to offer my support. …

Grief

It was early August, three days after my birthday. My day began with the usual hustle of preparing for Summer camp and dropping the boys off at my parents’. That afternoon, he sat on the front porch while he rocked my son to sleep, happily whistling some sweet melodious lullaby. The scene remained etched in my memory — pure love. Later that evening, with some help, he walked down the stairs toward me, and with silent words, his liquid brown eyes bore deeply into mine. My Papa, my first love, was saying goodbye. Forever. Without warning, my life changed. …

From crushing disappointment to finding my voice in a complex world of words

The early creative years

In my early years, I always had a good imagination. Even though I had siblings, they were much older and had already flown the nest. Besides my cousins, I had only my imaginary friends to play with. Sounds sad, doesn’t it? Well, for me, it was not such a melancholic or lonely time. I created scripts in my head for each of the characters and their personalities were all unique. Doing this filled most of my early childhood days. …

Poetry|Life

“Que sera, sera!

Whatever will be, will be

The future’s not ours to see

Que sera, sera.”

Lyrics from the song, Que Sera Sera by Doris Day

When I was growing up, my mother used to chant this chorus all the time. I knew what it meant but never really paid attention to its true meaning until I became a grown woman.

Have you ever had a decision to make, but it tore you? Or, you applied for a job and did not get it, but something better came along right after? …

Inspirational Quotes

Deciding to become a teacher is a momentous undertaking. When someone becomes a teacher, they take on the task to inspire and change lives forever. The academic year will begin in a few short weeks and there is still uncertainty amid Covid-19. Therefore, new teachers need some inspiration as they face the road ahead.

The truth about teaching

So, you’ve applied to your local school board, nervously did your interview, and finally got offered the job of your dreams. Congratulations! You are off to the races.

But wait! There is something you need to know. My intention here is not to be a Debbie Downer, but newbie teachers should not delude themselves that teaching is a glorious cushy job. Teachers put in many hours besides their regular time, deal with irate parents, manage a classroom full of unique personalities (some with behavioral issues), and still have to somehow deliver a curriculum. …

“Places don’t matter to people anymore. Places aren’t the point. People are only ever half present where they are these days. They always have at least one foot in the great digital nowhere.” Matt Haig, How to Stop TIme

Decades ago, the world managed without today’s kind of technology. Now, we cannot seem to go about our daily lives without it. Everyone these days has some kind of technological device, a smartphone, iPad, laptop, you name it; it is the norm. If you do not have one, you are considered old-schooled. Recent studies now show that our teens are at a higher risk to suffer from Internet Addiction Disorder (AID) because of excessive use of technology. …

Grief

The only certainty in life is death, but it doesn’t matter whether you have had time to prepare for it or not. When that moment finally happens, the wind is knocked out of your sails. Everyone is touched by death: the death of a parent, death of a child, death of a sibling, death of a relative, death of a close friend, or death of a pet. We all grieve in different ways and our sadness may linger longer than others, but the common connection is the love we held for the ones we lost.

Experiencing the death of someone you love

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a friend of mine lost her dad and she was unable to be there for the final farewell. It was devastating, and I can empathize with her pain. Her loss reminded me of the loss of my own father almost 24 years ago. His passing shattered my world. I felt only raw pain and had no desire to see or speak to anyone except to the ones in my closest circle; these are ones I drew emotional strength from. …