#1

“I wonder what crafting you’re doing now? It’s amazing you have time with everything else you have going on,” a friend texted me the other day.

Sometimes, while driving, I reflect on my life and my inner world. More often than not, I wonder if I’m stretching myself too thin – working, finishing grad school, completing field placement, managing my mental health and shadows, and navigating the chaos of life while trying to build a life thousands of miles from home. The only two days off I’ve had in months were the day I got sick (right in the middle of an assessment!) and my birthday. It can feel like too much at times especially when things fall apart, and fears, self-doubt, and insecurities start to creep in.

Most of my crafting happens late at night or in those small moments after work. Some days, all I want when I get home is rest (a lot of it and nothing else). Crafting isn’t always the priority; it comes in its own season.

My life has its own seasons, too. Living with them has helped me a lot, because I no longer force myself to do things that don’t align with the season within me. I had a conversation with a dhamma friend last week about how fast life moves and how hard it is for us to slow down. Perhaps the best we can do is dance with life, I said.

This season of mine is messy, hectic, overwhelming. I find myself withdrawing from almost all social life outside of work. Creating and writing have somehow become my way to cope. They are my personal sanctuary. In times of pain, loss, and uncertainty, they’ve given me space to release difficult emotions and find peace and acceptance from within.

This too shall pass.

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#2

I found this note in an old book. It’s probably one of the loveliest handwritten notes I’ve come across in books that have been passed on to me.

Back in uni, I did a little project where I gave away books I’d read and no longer felt the need to hold onto. Before leaving them on a bench on campus or in a park, I would slip a handwritten note inside each one. Last year, I left some notes in books I borrowed from the library. Sometimes I wonder if anyone ever found them.

Maybe I should do more of that. Hmm.

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#3

I’ve recently decided to return to traditional blogging. I’ve missed it so, so much. Blogging has been a part of my youth. Three years ago, I closed Tee Wanders, my personal blog that had been with me since high school. I tried Substack, but for some reason, it didn’t feel quite right. Social media has become so overwhelming, overcrowded and noisy and I’ve realized I don’t really belong there either.

Most of my crafting, life updates, stories, and poetry will now be shared here on my blog. Exchanging letters and postcards brought me so much joy growing up, and I want to preserve this form of connection in today’s fast-paced world. Yesterday, the idea of letterbox came through me and I’m quite excited to watch it unfold.

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#4

Today at work, MJ spotted the pink rain lily blooming beneath the tree in our office backyard garden. Everyone got excited to see the flowers after the rain. We all went outside to appreciate this lovely little surprise from nature and to say hello to the owl family. MJ said they had visited us last year.

I joked with Amber, “Can we stay here the whole day?” She smiled and said, “ha, the whole day, that’s pretty cute :)”

That pink rain lily just made my day.