Have you heard of the word Oubaitori? Oubaitori is an ancient Japanese idiom that comes from the kanji for the four trees (cherry blossoms, plum, peach and apricot) that blooms in spring. Each flower blooms in its own time and the meaning behind the idiom is that we all grow and bloom at our own…
Category: loving self
Who Are You?
It’s 3 a.m. (3:12 to be exact). And just like as always, I try to make myself fall back to sleep by scrolling through my social media account. Sometimes it works, at other times it doesn’t. While I was scrolling, I saw this article about motherhood. That of being a stay at home mother. The…
Don’t Do That
“Sometimes people are beautiful. Not in looks. Not in what they say. Just in what they are.” Markus Zusak I feel like it’s been forever since I tried writing my thoughts down. For the past several years, I’ve been very open about my feelings. I have no qualms in showing my vulnerability to others. I…
{Brave}
“The only way to being at peace with yourself is to be accepting and loving of who you are.” Let me share you a story. Before I started blogging fourteen years ago, I was in a woman’s group and from there I became aware of this thing called blogging. And I told myself, Charina…you can…
What’s In A Crossroad?
Growing up in a small town in the Philippines, I grew up as a school-home-school kid. I seldom go out or socialize. If ever I do, it will be with a small group of cousins. This same pattern went on until I was in college and I would say up to now. My life revolves…
The Power Of Vulnerability
Oxford Dictionary defines vulnerability as the quality or state of being exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally. Every time I hear the word vulnerable, I think of it as being helpless or weak. That this bring about heartbreak or disappointments or suffering and pain. And I always blame…
Silhouette
We each have stories to tell. Each one different from the others, each one revealing lessons and each one magnifying our strengths. I read somewhere that we shouldn’t be ashamed to tell our stories no matter how little or simple we think it is. For this simple stories of ours could be just what someone…
It’s in the Angle
In photography, we always aim to photograph the extraordinary. In fact, we would go places just to capture something special. Something of importance. Something rarely seen and eye catching. Several weeks ago, we went to Raleigh to pick up our daughter who’s in Governor’s School. While waiting, these flowers in a big flower pot caught…
What’s in a Boots?
Last July 4, we went to Meredith College for Parent’s Day at the Governor’s School that my daughter is participating in. We were invited to attend one of her class (Memoir) and to say that I fell in love was an understatement! There, we were asked to write a story from suggested topics like: Weird…
What’s Your Feel Good Story?
“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” Leo Buscaglia This morning, a lady co-worker who’s been out for a while due to surgery, told me…
Charina.Writes 