Happy 22nd Birthday from the older and wiser – and I believe improved – version of yourself. (Think of me as a young aunt whose clothes you want to borrow.) The old adage “hindsight is 20/20” is of absolutely no help after the fact, so I’m here to give you a glimpse of what’s ahead and some hints on how to successfully navigate it. The mere fact that I am writing to....
I can’t ever remember a time when church wasn’t a part of my life. My grandparents are Christians and as long as I can remember our family of five joined them every Sunday at our local church. But when I was 14 church life changed for all of us. Not because of some obvious spectacular event but simply because my mum, a devoted, faithful, amazing woman had an encounter with ....
I remember when my parents told us they would no longer be married. I can’t remember their words, the time or the place – but I do remember feeling lost. It was as though the tiny sliver of happiness I once had, was forever gone. Let’s be real divorce is a bitch. (I honestly couldn’t think of a better-suited word. Trust me, I tried.) It ruins t....
I was born in Surabaya, one of the largest cities in Indonesia. Our family are Chinese and, like most in our community, the vast majority of my family practiced Confucianism. This is a belief system that impacts every area of daily life with a strong focus on ancestor reverence. The one member of our family who had broken away from Confucianism was my paternal grandmother. She ....
The air was filled with laughter and chatter, as more than 4000 women took their seats in the auditorium. Everywhere I looked I saw women hugging one another ‘hello’, squealing with delight as they located a friend, beckoning her over, ‘I saved you a seat, come sit with me’. We were all there for a women’s conference. A celebration of friendship, purpose and love and ....
