When Words Save You: Why I Keep Writing Even When It’s Hard There are days I sit in front of the screen and feel absolutely empty. No inspiration. No spark. Just silence, fatigue, and the heaviness of too much life. And yet—I write. Not because I always feel brave. Not because I have it all…
Category: authenticity
In Yun
When Connections Are More Than Coincidences. There’s a beautiful Korean word—In Yun (인연)—that speaks of fate, connection, and the unseen threads that draw people together. It’s hard to translate perfectly into English, but it carries the weight of many lifetimes, implying that every encounter is not by chance, but the result of ties woven long…
The Ugly Side of Boundaries
No one really talks about the awkward, uncomfortable, slightly soul-crushing part of setting boundaries — especially with the people you love. It’s supposed to be this healthy, empowering thing. And it is. But sometimes, it also feels like breaking your own heart a little. Because the moment you stop saying “yes” to everything, the people…
God-Given Identity
The Blessing of Our True God-Given Identity In a world that constantly tells us who we should be—louder, thinner, smarter, more successful—it’s no wonder so many of us wake up wondering who we truly are. We search for meaning in titles, approval in relationships, validation in likes and follows, and value in performance. And yet,…
Mujo
The Beauty and Bittersweetness of Life’s Impermanence There’s a quiet, poetic word in Japanese—mujo—that means impermanence. At first glance, it sounds like something we might want to avoid. After all, most of us crave stability. We long to hold onto moments, people, places, seasons. But mujo isn’t cruel. It doesn’t come to steal joy. It…
Trouvaille
The Beauty of Unexpected Blessings There’s a quiet kind of magic in the word trouvaille. It doesn’t shout or demand attention. It whispers—like the warmth of sunlight falling unexpectedly on your face during a cold morning, or a song that finds you at just the right moment. Trouvaille is a reminder that sometimes, life gives…
Memoir of my Heart
There’s a quiet place in my life where I go to make sense of the mess, the beauty, the ache, and the grace of it all. That place is Charina Writes. It began simply—as a space to share thoughts, to process life, to speak gently into the noise. But somewhere along the way, it became…
What Would Jesus Write?
If Jesus were to write your eulogy… Let’s just say it now: if Jesus were in charge of writing our eulogy, the whole thing would look very different from the carefully curated highlight reel we hope people remember about us. Forget the fancy bullet points and the “She was always so organized” line someone says…
When Hope Tiptoes Back In
Hope doesn’t always come with fanfare. It doesn’t always announce itself with bright lights or bold declarations. Sometimes, it enters softly—barefoot, quiet, almost unnoticeable. It may show up in a moment of stillness, in the gentle rhythm of a favorite song playing unexpectedly. In the first deep breath that doesn’t feel heavy. In the tiny…
Am I loved Or Just Useful?
There’s a kind of ache that doesn’t show on the outside. It creeps in quietly, usually when you’re going about your day doing what needs to be done—folding laundry, preparing meals, answering texts, holding things together. It’s a slow ache that whispers a question you didn’t expect to ask, one that makes your heart pause:…
Charina.Writes 