This letter explores my journey as I navigate the challenges of embracing my asexuality, breaking free from societal expectations, and finding solace in a new identity, shedding my old one.
A raw letter addressed to my mom: hurtful memories one part of me hopes she still remembers, imperfections still left uncovered, and everything I never said to her.
This piece describes the long journey of how I found acceptance and gained pride in my cultural identity through narration from my six-year-old self to now.
All I want to say is that I’m forever grateful to Nana and Papa, may they rest in peace, for opening up their home to me and allowing me to hold many great memories.
This letter was inspired by a prompt and written after I came back from visiting my grandparents in Japan last summer. It is a letter of eternal thanks and love.
“A Necklace of Pearled Dreams” narrates the story of my grandmother’s beautiful pearled necklace, a cherished family heirloom, and how its meaning transformed and developed through generations.
In this piece, I tried to incorporate memories from my childhood with some of today’s environmental issues by comparing two alternate storylines– one of my memories growing up, and another displaying climate crises– over time.