That Changes Everything… Have you ever felt desired by someone—but still strangely empty? It’s a feeling many of us know too well. In relationships of all kinds—romantic, platonic, or professional—there’s a subtle but powerful difference between being wanted and being valued. One feeds the ego. The other nourishes the soul. To be wanted can feel…
Author: Charina.Writes
Blogger.Photographer.Author ✍🏻 | 📷 | 👩🏻💻 | 🇵🇭 | 🇺🇸
A Woman’s Gentle Strength
In a world that often equates strength with hardness — with loud voices, sharp elbows, and visible dominance — there exists another kind of power. One that is quieter. Softer. Often overlooked. But make no mistake: it is just as strong. It’s the gentle strength of a woman. This kind of strength doesn’t demand the…
Where Are We?
God Is Everywhere, But What Are We Missing? There’s a beautiful and ancient belief that God is everywhere. In the trees, in our laughter, in the quiet moments before sleep. In the stranger’s kindness, the infant’s cry, the sunrise, the storm. If God is truly present in all things, then how is it possible that…
Who Am I Becoming?
Life Is Not What We Make It, But Who We Are We’re taught from a young age to chase after dreams, set goals, and create the life we want. “Life is what you make it,” they say — and in many ways, there’s truth in that. Our choices matter. Our effort counts. But if we…
What It Means To Live Fully
We all know the difference between existing and truly living. But what does it really mean to live fully? Is it climbing mountains? Traveling the world? Achieving our goals? Maybe. But living fully isn’t always loud or glamorous. Sometimes, it’s quiet. Subtle. Sacred. Being Fully Present So much of life slips through our fingers when…
Words Matter
How would you feel if someone told you things that are not that easy to forget? Words that linger in our memories and leave a deep scar in our hearts and being. Maybe I am not the kindest person or not the most loving (to some), but I am not cruel and hateful. Maybe I…
Knowing the Unknown
I couldn’t remember exactly when I started writing. If I remember it right, it could be sometime in 2010. So, I’ve been writing or blogging on and off for fifteen years now. I loved it. Every minute of it. There would be times when the words just flowed freely. There would be times where I…
Muted Love
There are people who love loudly (what does loving loudly even mean to you?) and there are those who show love through their muted sacrifice. In my quest for finding out if there is a Japanese word for muted love, I came to find out that there are a few words on how to express…
Unmei Ai
Unmei ai is a Japanese word which translates to “love of fate.” For someone who has never been anywhere in Japan other than the airport and a short ride by bus for airport transfer, my love of Japanese words and its deeper meaning is quite unexplainable. To be precise, I discovered this word, thanks to…
Our Secret Battles
The world has been feeling heavier lately. And yet we continue to live, carrying our secret battles that seem invisible to even those we know and meet. Every day there is still beauty that at times seems fragile…like it’s not even real. Some of us wake up feeling trapped in lives we no longer recognize…
Charina.Writes 