🍊🍃“No one can live on their own. Go together, with others. If you do, 100 miles will feel like ten."
Like many of you out there, I just finished watching When Life Gives You Tangerines, and also like many of you, this story touched places in my heart and soul that I did not know existed.
I can’t say I have ever felt such a jarring mix of joy and pain all at once in my life. And while highly dramatic, I cannot phrase it any other way than my soul has been moved.
Because I see my family in this story…
🍊this story is for my mother, who too lost her mother and father when she was young. Whose heart is always so tender and unconditionally loving. Who worries, nags, cries, and yearns for the best for her family. Whose love and wisdom is often brushed off and seemingly overbearing to her loved ones. For my mom who’s life was riddled with fear, unhappiness, worry and death, but always chose kindness and understanding. For my mom who had dreams bigger than life, and as they were at the tips of her finger, sacrificed them because her family became her new dream. For my mom, whose sole purpose in life is to love her family better than she did the day before. For my mom who is just a girl living life for the first time like the rest of us, and yet echos wisdom that will affect and ripple across hundreds of lives for generations to come.
🍊this story is for my father whose quiet and stoic nature often leaves him misunderstood and walking in the shadow of my mother’s brightness. For the father who suffers the punches and waves of life silence. For my dad who’s lost his job twice throughout my life, and yet always kept a roof over our head and food on the table, and never let us feel the weight of the world coming down on us. For my father who, for a long time, i resented because it felt like he was shutting himself away within a fortress, leaving us trying to get in. But now realize was never locking us out but actually sheltering and protecting us within the fortress of his love. Standing with his back to the harsh world so that we might not have to face it completely alone. Loving us in his own quiet way that often goes unappreciated.
🍊This story is for the middle child — my big sister — who seems to draw the short stick in life quite often. Who feels forgotten and like a last priority. Who desires to be loved as much as they love others — and often times, are the ones who love so much greater than the rest. Who too toils and sacrifices for their dreams and independence since no one supported or dreamed with them. Who desperately wants to fit in with their family but can only see independence as a means of earning their love, respect and attention. Who chase and give all that they can because it feels that love is earned rather than freely given. For my sister who yells, screams and raises hell to get her point across; but who will walk through hell with you on her back without asking further questions. For my sister and all those children who need to remember that they were never forgotten, but loved in steadier and silent ways.
🍊This story is for the sons — my brother — who are expected the most from, and are loved the quietest. Who are often expected to sacrifice, follow and lead without question or concern, and yet do not know the same gentle and tender care that their sisters receives. Who often do not know the soft love of their fathers, and yet are expected to love with a gentle spirit. Who feel awkward and uncomfortable moving through life as they try to become like their fathers, but simply desire the approval and love of their mothers. For my brother who has sacrificed big and small things as the eldest child for the sake of teaching not only his younger sisters, but his parents, on how to walk through life together.
🍊This story is for the “golden” children. Who dreamed so big but never truly accounted for the burden of expectations until they were faced with what comes with their prayers. Who will always feel less than deserving of the sacrifices of others. For the children who do not know how to separate gratitude from their guilt. Who cannot reconcile the idea of their parents and family giving up their dreams just for them to reach their own. Who simply wish to repay the priceless support from their family. For the child who feels guilty reaching higher heights because they can’t help but look back at the smiling faces of their family who lovingly offered you their backs to step on to go higher. For the child who will appraise get indebted no matter how much they give. Who silent eventually themselves that one’s success is not usually the product of only one’s personal effort but of those who unconditionally loved and supported them.
🍊This story is for the grandparents who loved and raised our parents. That, even in their imperfection, wanted more for their family. For my grandmothers in heaven and my mother here, I can only think that they are smiling with joy when they see the goodness of their children, and I hope they know that that good is a reflection of their goodness that they showed to them.
🍊This story is for the family’s who burden and struggle together. For the parents who lost a child too soon, and the children who lost their parent too early. For the guilty and repentant parents. For the children who resent and love their family all at once. For those who wish to be just like their parents and those who desire to change their family’s destiny. For the family’s who fight for each other and commit to one another no matter the challenges ahead. Who choose loyalty, love, patience, humility and understanding over themselves. For the family’s who trust that with time, all wounds will heal, even if there is a scar.
We do not get to choose the families we are born into, but we do get to choose the one we create. And this story is not just a story, but also call. A challenge that in the midst of life and our own imperfections and challenges, we can choose to be better for those we love. That resilience and joy are products of intentionality and not simply our circumstances.
🍊🍃We must bide our time in this life wisely and decide what truly matters. There is no such things as a perfect love, but that we can strive to love perfectly. 🍃🍊
A/N: sorry guys, I truly am no writer by any means, but I can’t help but pour my heart into this. 🥲🫶🍊🍃
so back when my little brother was in high school, my mom went as a chaperone for their senior year field trip to an amusement park. which, you know, brave move to volunteer to supervise a bunch of high school seniors let loose in a wonderland of rollercoasters and sugar
my brother and his friends in this field trip group were truly great kids. but they were not above run of the mill teenage boy shenanigans. it’s the end of senior year, you and all your buddies are at the amusement park, you’re naturally going to want to act like a complete moron
there was one kid in the group who was especially prone to goofing around. committed to the bit, some may say. my mom knew that if nonsense was going to break out, he’d likely be at the center of it
so she goes up to this kid at the very start of the trip and says “hey, i’m kinda worried about this chaperoning thing. this might be a lot to ask, but can you help me keep an eye on everyone? you wouldn’t have to do anything big, just be an extra set of eyes for me.”
friends, this kid proceeded to run their field trip group like the fucking us marines. everyone is at the meet up spots at the designated time. everyone waits in line for the rides like a bunch of boy scouts. the second the horseplay gets too out of hand, this kid is getting it back under control
it’s incredible how differently people act based on the expectations you set. instead of going to this kid and saying “hey, i know you’re trouble, so i’ve got my eye on you,” my mom went “hey, i know you have influence in your peer group, so i think you can help me.”
treat someone like a problem, they’ll act like a problem. but give people a chance to help, make them feel important, and they usually rise far above the occasion. it was a stroke of genius that i’m honestly still in awe of
Fuck twiyor confession I need Loid and Yor to say I love you to Anya like YESTERDAY. Guys that is your beloved child who you dote on and care for and you are her Mama and Papa tell her you love her NOWWWWW
ever since i was a little girl i knew i wanted to deny location sharing and turn off personalized ads and reject all non-essential cookies and not set up siri and face ID
Pros of AI: my landlord that im sueing is using AI for his defense instead of hiring a lawyer (despite having the money to do so) and it is fabricating laws that don't exist which im told is not great in the eyes of the court, so maybe ill win :D
