Throughout Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, KAN-WIN will be sharing #OurStories from our community members.
To participate in the #OurStories campaign, post your story of any length and/or photos with the hashtag #OurStories and tag @KANWIN . Or, send it to us by email at [email protected].
“I have the good fortune of being a volunteer for KAN-WIN for the past several years, including as the board chair of this dynamic passionate organization. I’m working toward being more of a multitasker than ever before, as a parent, an academic-gym-art-music teacher, a work colleague in an open concept office with my husband and children, the lunch and snack lady, and so much more. I’m not seeking perfection, just seeking balance!
#FindingComfort: Knowing that we are all trying, that we are seeking grace in these times; and seeing neighbors, friends, and family going out of their way to cultivate and maintain community in creative ways. Wine, dessert, and kimchee jjigae are also wonderful sources of comfort. So too are the snuggles of my children and the firm embrace of my husband. We will get through this if we maintain physically distant AND socially connected; and being kind in the face of our anxieties.
#LookForward: There will be a time where we will be together physically. It may look different than what we are used to, but we will be together all the same. I think of this time in anticipation of celebrating my beautiful mother-in-law’s life with extended family and friends. She passed away in April after her multiyear battle with dementia that cruelly stole her voice, mind, and movement. Nonetheless, her final chapter was beautiful: her adult children and her husband were around her bed at her home, with the sun shining on her face. My children and I celebrated her life in our own way here in Chicago, but it’s not the same as being with family in MI. COVID has taken that opportunity away from us. However, sunshine, blue skies, and the dark blue waters of Lake Michigan are in my future as we celebrate her ebullience, her compassion for those oppressed, her love of children, and her gentleness. She was a beautiful mother, mother-in-law, grandmother. She is a person worthy of celebration. I loved her.”