Learning Freedom: Building Emotional Boundaries
We need relational connection. But how we connect matters. A major way I’ve grown in freedom this past year is in building better emotional boundaries.
Read MoreCategory: Relationships with humans
Teacher Life: Conflict Between Close Friends
Yesterday between classes, I looked up from my Kindle to see one of my students repeatedly hitting another boy on the back of the head. He was clearly angry and exclaiming something in Korean I couldn’t understand. I immediately sat up and started yelling. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” The hitting stopped. “BOTH OF YOU OUTSIDE […]
Read MoreHandling Conflict: Some Tips for the Conflict-Averse
I am naturally conflict-averse. I always have been, and I still am. But over the years I’ve learned how to better manage my sensitivity to tension, how to better communicate with those I disagree with, and how to stay true to myself while still being considerate of others. I’m still a work in progress, but […]
Read MoreFailing at Love and Being Overwhelmed by Greater Love
I’ve been thinking a lot about love lately. Not romance, but the kind of love we are all supposed to have for one another. Sacrificial love. Neighborly love. Compassionate love. Strangely, at the very same time I’ve been pondering the importance of love, I have simultaneously been dismissing my own need for it. What I […]
Read MoreEnjoying the last bits of sunshine together
I enjoyed the last rays of the summer solstice in the company of my Kentucky-born grandfather. He was in America sitting outside by my grandmother’s grave, while I was in Korea sitting inside at my desk, but through the amazing technology of FaceTime, we were together.
Read MoreHere and Now
Although I have no desire to see The Revenant, I love that Leonardo DiCaprio finally won his Oscar and I loved the last sentence of his acceptance speech: “I do not take tonight for granted.” It got me thinking about how easy it is to take things for granted. To feel entitled. To long and hope for […]
Read MoreReconnection
I have a bit of a fear of social awkwardness. I’m one of those people who ducks and hides when she sees former acquaintances on the street. I tend to avoid unnecessary conversations in which I’m not sure I’ll know what to say. It’s nothing against those people. It’s just awkward. So it only took me five […]
Read MoreOne of Those Moments
Tonight my nine-year-old sister said to me, “You’re awesome, you know that?” I was about to play dodgeball with her and our younger brother in the basement, which she had been wanting to do all evening. I suppose that’s what triggered the comment, but whatever the motivation, I have to say, it warmed me up inside. Nothing […]
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