My name is Xinxing and I am from Hunan province in China. I am an only child and love my parents very much. My parents only completed their education to middle school level so they were very committed to seeing me succeed at school and then study at university. Like most Chinese families my whole extended family practiced Buddhist traditions and ancestor worship. My family were quite superstitious and although I didn’t understand much of …
In 2015 I got engaged. I was 23 years old and ready to start the next chapter of my life with the man that I loved. I was excited, expectant and filled with anticipation about our life together. 24 hours later it was over. My fiancée broke up with me and walked away from our relationship. My dreams were shattered and I was a mess. My brain was working overtime trying to make sense of …
I was born in Greece in 1965 but at the age of five our family moved to Australia. My family were not very religious and, although my parents identified as Greek Orthodox, we rarely attended church. I attended the local public school and it was there, when I was in Grade 3, that I was took part in a Greek Orthodox scripture class. This was the first time I was introduced to prayer. My prayers …
I grew up with more of them than I could count. They were doctors, airline pilots, babysitters, teachers, ballerinas, scientists and more. They had beautiful dresses with matching shoes and accessories. They were my best friends and confidants. They led extraordinary lives with amazing houses and cars. Everyday was an adventure with them. They were my Barbie dolls. For the longest time I believed that if Barbie could do it I could too. Since Barbie’s …
When I was 18, in my final year of high school, my gran died suddenly. I was so shocked by her death. It was totally unexpected. I had no idea how to feel, think or act. I felt so guilty because I hadn’t seen her for months before she passed away. I didn’t know how to process my grief or guilt; I felt like I needed to punish myself. I stopped eating. My world felt …
