I’m Glad I Live In A World Where There Are Octobers

From Halloween and New York Comic Con preparations to studying for midterms and digging out scarves, October means a lot of things to a lot of people. For me, October is the month of new beginnings—it is to me what January is to most people.

My year starts in October because this is my birthday month. This was the month I was born, the month I started life, and so every year, this is the month I reflect on how I have lived, make my resolutions for a happier, healthier life, and then start again. 

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[Poetry] Our Banyan Tree

There was a banyan tree growing in the sand, one leaf for every memory we shared, one branch for every year.

There were leaves turned crispy brown for every time we argued, growing next to leaves of bright green for every time we made up.

[Flash Fiction] Sisterhood

They arrived first: one Asian girl checking their reservation with the host and the other girl checking her frizzy hair in a pocket mirror.

“Stupid humidity—every time,” she groaned as they were shown to their table.

“Do you think she’ll show up?” the Asian girl asked. “Probably not, right? It’s been five years since we’ve talked.”

[Poetry] Existence

I have ink in my veins
And blood in my words,
I have a voice behind this pastiche of a life,
A voice that is dying to be heard.

I have verses in my heart
And a heartbeat in my pen,
I have a raft fashioned from rosewood and paper,
That has saved me again and again.

[Poetry] The Night I Went To The Carnival

I remember the laughter of children,
Racing under neon lights,
And the scent of nearby hydrangeas,
Permeating through the night.

I remember the taste of cotton candy,
Melting sugary sweet on my tongue,
And the apples swimming in caramel—
The carefree diet of being young.

[Poetry] Therapy

You asked me to write my feelings,
And so I did, although I
Don’t know if you can help me,
But I’d still like you to try.

For years, I’ve walked in the dark
Trying to follow the light within,
But it’s been so long that I don’t know
Where the shadows end and I begin.

Getting A Little Personal…Life Update

Some of you may have noticed that my posts became a bit sporadic lately. Today, I’m getting a little personal with all of you to explain why, and to offer a glimpse into my Real Life these past few weeks.

In my re-introduction post earlier this year, I revealed my struggle with my depression and anxiety, a struggle that has been with me since high school (which, if we’re all doing the math here, was more than a decade ago). Now, I’ll admit, I’ve never been officially diagnosed by a doctor. However, I am familiar with the signs and symptoms from my years of majoring in Psychology in college, and I had regular sessions with a campus counselor when things got really bad for me during my college years. 

[Poetry] Heavy

The weight of your world
On my shoulders
Placed there with good intentions
And tough love,
The weight of your hopes
And dreams
Bending my back
Eternally,

My Favorite Quotes From Becoming, By Michelle Obama

Forget the politics. Forget if you’re red or blue or a different color altogether. Becoming, by Michelle Obama speaks to the part of us that’s beyond that, to the humanity at our core. This is not so much a book about being a Former First Lady of the United States, but much more so a book about the incredible and inspirational story of a girl who could have been (and could still be) any of us—a girl who grew up not having much, who faltered and second-guessed herself, and who took the long way ’round to live a remarkable life.

[Poetry] A Toast

Here’s to Cupid aiming his arrows accurately
To lost love being found.
Here’s to being nice (and a little naughty!)
For Santa all year ‘round.

Here’s to friendships, stretched thin from wear
Built up like a house of cards.
Here’s to friendships, triple knotted with care,
Built to last when things get hard.