Finding Comfort in Familiar Things

There’s a certain comfort in the things that don’t change. The mug you always reach for without thinking. The chair that seems to know how you like to sit. The familiar sounds of a home that has heard your silence more than your words. “Familiar doesn’t mean boring. It means safe.” We often chase what’s…

The Quiet Joy of Ordinary Days

Not every good day announces itself. Some days don’t arrive with answers or breakthroughs or a feeling that everything finally makes sense. Some days are simple. Quiet. Unremarkable in the ways the world usually measures meaning. “Not every blessing makes noise.” And yet— they still hold something good. There is a kind of joy that…

Every Seed Matters

When Your Words Feel Like They Land in Silence… There’s a certain kind of vulnerability in writing — the kind where you take pieces of your heart, shape them into sentences, and send them out into the world with no guarantee they’ll find a home. It’s not “just content.” It’s a part of you. Your…

What’s in a Courtesy?

The Courtesy We Owe Each Other… In the legal world, there’s a word — Esquire. It’s not just a job title. It’s a courtesy. A way of placing respect right alongside someone’s name. The world doesn’t run on Esquire, but it does run on something like it. Because every day, whether we notice or not,…

Dear Me,

To the One I Was — and the One I’m Becoming. I know the weight you’ve been carrying. Some of it is yours, some of it was handed to you without asking. You’ve done your best to hold it all together — even on the days when it felt like the pieces would scatter beyond…

10,000 Reasons

If I tried to list every reason I have to be grateful, I’d run out of paper. Not because my life is perfect, but because I’ve learned that blessings are not always wrapped in pretty paper or delivered on sunny days. Some of my reasons are obvious—family, friends, a roof over my head, food on…

Resilience

My daughter and I landed in the Philippines a few years ago to visit and spend time with my family. As always, with any trip we take, I made sure to bring my camera. Four weeks into our six-week vacation, I realized I’d only taken a handful of photos. It’s not that there isn’t beauty…

What’s In A Song?

Music heals me. You might say I am just a hopeless romantic. You might be right, perhaps I am. Music just has a way of soothing my soul. And there are certain ones that I could listen to over and over again and still have the same effect on me, just like the first time…

A Love Like Spring

I’ve always believe that my parents love for each other was one in a million. I never doubt that.  “To me, your mom means the world.” – Yang Gwan Sik If I am fascinated with Japanese words, I am as much fascinated with Korean Dramas. Somehow they have a way of letting the audience immerse…

What’s Your Story?

When all is said and done. And it’s time for us to go. These writings will be a beautiful reminder of who we are, A life beautifully expressed and lived…. In writing. charina.writes If you are a writer, chances are – you know what I’ll be talking about (be sure to read the underlined, I…