Devastating...

The pictures, videos and stories that have flood our televisions and social media over the past several days is simply devastating for all the families affected by hurricane Harvey.  What loss, what moments of terror, what moments of uncertainty...and what moments of bravery, what acts of courage, what acts of love, what acts of support...scene after scene and story after story.  It's heartbreaking.

Most of us can't even imagine going through what many of the evacuees have gone through over the past several days.  And, I'm sure many of them are still in shock.  Their homes, their safe havens are under water and the uncertainty of what the future brings is scary and sad.  And yes, it's tragic that it takes such an enormous tragedy to bring neighbors together...to donate supplies, to volunteer their time and service, to donate money, etc.  We, as Americans, do rally when needed, but lets not forget the needs of our fellow man a month from now, a year from now.  It's what makes us great!

Please remember to love thy neighbor today and every day.  May blessings fill up the hearts of those affected by this devastating hurricane and may they feel the love of thy neighbors in the days and months to come.

Prayers for Southeast Texas

I'm sure the pictures on TV and social media don't do it justice, but I can't imagine all the devastation in southeast Texas that hurricane Harvey has caused there.  It's heartbreaking and sadly it's not over yet with more rain coming.  I pray for the safety of all lives affected by the hurricane and pray for strength, comfort and determination to overcome this tragedy.  I also pray for all the first responders working tirelessly to help everyone they can, as well as, local residents lending a hand to help rescue their fellow neighbor.

Please pray for all affected by this natural disaster, keep them in your prayers and provide any assistance  you can.  It's in times like these that we can ALL make a difference in someone else's life that really needs it!  Thank you and God bless!!

Online vs. Box

With Amazon taking over the online shopping space, what is going to happen to the box store...going into an actual store to touch the product before buying it?  Yes, I've bought things online, but I still like going to the store, picking out my own produce or trying on clothes before buying it.  I know a ton of people who only shop online...for everything!  I just don't think I could do it.  Could you?  Or do you already?

What's the appeal?  Time?  Convenience?  But, aren't you constantly returning items?  I just think it takes away from the whole experience of shopping.  I sit at a desk all day long for work so the last thing I want to do is sit at it any more than I have to to do my shopping.  

We're finally getting a Whole Foods in my city...sometime soon...but with Amazon buying Whole Foods I wonder if the actual store will still be standing in 5 years.  If we're going to have delivery of everything I want it the right way...the Jetson's way!  Just pressing a button and it travels instantly through an air tube right into your home!  Now that's delivery!

Until then, I'll enjoy going into actual stores and picking out exactly what I want by touch, sight, and sound.  But, however you like to shop I think the way we all shop will change over the next 5-10 years.  I'll guess we'll all find out in the future...and who knows, there may not be any malls left by then!

May blessings fill your heart full of love and gratitude that you pass it on to someone else!

English Only....

It's been awhile, but I guess it never gets old...someone trying to talk to me in Chinese (I'm guessing).  Have you ever tried reflexology?  It's amazing!  I tried it after seeing a post from a high school friend over a year ago and I'm totally hooked!  Especially since I have a lot of neck stiffness and pain in my shoulders it loosens it up every time!  And, it's much cheaper than getting a massage!

There have been a ton of new reflexology stores that have opened up near me, but the best one is still that first one I went to recommended by my friend that is, of course, the furthest away.  But, I'll drive down there for pain relief any day!

Yes, it can hurt a bit, especially if you're like me and asks for pretty firm pressure.  I got my mom into it, too, and she just gets gentle pressure.  But, I breathe through the pain knowing that my body is that messed up that it hurts so much!  But, it is SO worth it in the end!  Trust me!

I went last week to a local place that I'll go to if I just need some minor, quick relief.  There's a gentleman that normally greets me when I walk in, so he's become familiar with me now.  But, this time there was a woman who greeted me.  I told her what service I wanted and she escorted me in.  Then the man came walking in from the back and started talking to me in Chinese, I'm assuming.  Most people who are guessing my ethnicity guess Chinese first.  I shook my head and told him "English only."  He didn't look surprised or perplexed in any way, just OK with my response.  It's like he didn't fully trust what I had told the woman beforehand and he had to ask me himself what service I wanted.  It's obviously not the first time I've been spoken to in another language and it definitely won't be the last.  But, in this case...now he knows.

Many blessings to you for a peaceful, safe and energizing week ahead!!!

Taking the High Road...

There is too much going on in the world, specifically in our own country, that completely stresses me out right now.  I'm not going to blog about it because this is not a political blog or my editorial blog of current world events.  This is a blog about growing up as an international adoptee and all the ironies, questions, and similarities we all have throughout our journeys.  

Through all the chaos and turmoil of this world right now, I pray that we all find peace and calm in our hearts for one another.  And that we ALL RISE UP to HATE and show that LOVE will overcome!

I want to leave you with this as I truly believe we all share a role in teaching love vs. hate.  "No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion...." Thank you President Obama for the poignant reminder!

Blessings to you this week and prayers of peace to all!!

What in the World....

What in the world is going on in America these days?  I know how we got to what happened yesterday in Charlottesville, VA, but aren't we in the 21st century?  Didn't we learn our lessons from our dark and shameful history?  Sadly, it IS a reflection of where we are today, 2017, and who we are...at least some of us.  The rest of us need to STAND UP for equality and justice and freedom for ALL!!!

This is America, darnit!  We are SO much better than this!  We stand for more than what is going on in the world right now.  Leadership in this country is weak, cowardly and isn't standing up for our values or what is written in the Constitution.  The chaos of our political system and our leaders along with what else is going on in the world is driving me crazy!  And, I try not to listen to it all.  I try to just live my life, stand up for what I believe is right and hope and pray that our leaders will lead with integrity and honesty FOR the people!  We, as a nation, are definitely going through a rocky road right now and I just pray that sane, competent leadership rises up!

But, WE the PEOPLE also need to rise up and ensure our voices are heard...at the local, state and federal level!  We need to fight for equality for ALL Americans, justice for ALL Americans, compassion and understanding for ALL Americans!  Can we find common ground?  Can we find compassion for one another in our hearts?  Can we see life from someone else's vantage point?  Can we simply respect our fellow man?

I PRAY we CAN!  My heart hurts today for the state of our nation and for the displays of hatred so prominently in display that our so-called leaders have only perpetuated and stoked the flames towards.  We need real change in our communities and I hope we all find it in ourselves to be part of the change towards peace and understanding.

May blessings of change and action spark real growth in your community this week and in the future.  May we all find common ground and learn to respect one another as beautifully diverse human beings!  May peace fill our hearts and minds so that we can be a blessing to others.

Inflamed Prejudices

With the serious provocations going back and forth between the world leaders of North Korea and the United States, it got me wondering this morning if in the coming days/months I would face any increased prejudices about my race.  It's a sad reality many races still face in the 21st century and the past several years have been a staunch reflection of that in our society.  Yes, it's still a sad state of affairs in our world that we can't see one another as just another human being.  We're all just trying to live our best lives and we all truly want the same things...that I learned from all my international travel and seeing families across the world.  

This morning I was thinking of all the Muslims who wrongly got lumped into the terrorists groups that have tried to inflict harm against the U.S. and many other countries across the world over the past 16 years since 9/11.  Many Muslims have been profiled and wrongly judged just because of what they look like.  Obviously we know this has happened with African Americans for decades now.  So, if the U.S. and the rest of the world see North Korea as unpredictable and reckless threats then will the association and prejudices start to rise?  I think most Americans know the difference between North and South Korea, so there isn't as harsh a reaction to Koreans in the States as there has been with Muslims.  But, it doesn't make any of it right...to bully or profile someone based on culture.  Obviously, if someone looked at me they wouldn't know I'm adopted.  They would only see my Asian features.  So, it's really their own perceptions, beliefs and values that will lead them to a calm or inflamed conclusion when they see me.

Plus, I don't think most Americans have ever met anyone from North Korea, so again, I would assume if they thought I was Korean they would think I'm from South Korea.  I think if I hear anything "negative" it would primarily be the same old stuff I always get like, "Hey, want an eggroll?" or "You must be a technical genius." or silly stuff like that.  I'll take that any day of the week over some of the crazies that are out there.  It's the world we live in.  Hopefully, some time in my lifetime we'll get a little closer to seeing one another as just another human being...no colors, religion, sex, etc...just human, flesh and blood.

May we have peace on earth, truly.  And, may the rest of your week be blessed with peace and calm.

Back to School

It's that time of year again...back to school for all the kiddos!  I foresee a couple weeks ahead full of "first day of school" Facebook posts!  Yep, you know it's coming and either your kiddos are excited or totally dreading going back to school.  Back to school shopping is always fun...well, the clothes shopping....maybe not the school supply shopping.  My little niece who will be starting kindergarten was enthusiastically excited about back to school shopping, especially all her Paw Patrol treasures!  She got a Paw Patrol backpack, lunch box and water jug.  And, she even got her ears pierced after a suggestion from her mom.  Hmmm...not sure I was ready for her to have pierced ears already since I didn't get them until I was 12 or 13 and I'm pretty sure my sister didn't get them until she was in her teens, too.  But, her pink daisies are pretty cute!

Oh, the excitement and nervousness of the first day of school.  We all know how it felt and probably can still feel some of those butterflies.  What were you going to wear on the first day of school, who would be in your classes, and what would your teachers be like?  Every kid had great anticipation for that first day whether you liked school or not.  But, you always just settled back into a new routine and it always worked out pretty well.

So, I'm wishing all the kiddo's starting back to school in the next couple of weeks a wonderful first day of school and many blessings for a fabulous school year!  And, many blessings to all you parents out there, too!  

Jury Duty

Well, I did my civic duty on Monday by reporting for jury duty.  Yep exactly...joy, fun.  There were almost 300 people in the room and if you're a people watcher then this would be an ideal environment for you.  They asked at the start how many people really wanted to serve as a juror and only about 4 people raised their hand.  The honesty of the room was humorous, but of course we were all hoping they wouldn't call our name.

After a brief video and instructions from one of the judges, the random selection of panel members began.  I was selected as the last person of the first panel....of course!  Darnit!  I wouldn't be one of the 104 people not selected.  So, as the 23 other members of my panel made our way downstairs to our court room we waited on the bailiff to give us instructions before entering the court room.  As we entered the court room and sat down, the judge was seated, the 3 lawyers and defendant were seated and there were 3 family members there, as well.  The judge went through some instructions and then each side had a chance to present and interact with us as they determined who they wanted seated as jurors.  They only needed 6 jurors, so as the judge pointed out I had the very least chance of being selected for this jury.  Perfect!  But, I had to sit through over 2 hours of presentations from the state and from the defense lawyers...fun.  Actually, it was pretty interesting and a good refresher from my law class in college.

In the end, I wasn't picked...no surprise...and my almost 5 hours of service was over!  Civic duty done!  My mom had to report on Tuesday and didn't get picked at all...lucky!

However you may have to serve in the days and months ahead, may you find your silver lining and perhaps enjoy the process.  Many blessings to you in this first full week of August!!