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This is Between Business Cards
I’m navigating life—one foot stuck in the mud, the other trying to pull free. Like you, I’ve held a lot of roles: sibling, employee, spouse, healthy person and one facing illness. Some of those titles even made it onto my business cards. But life has a way of editing our identities—whether we’re ready or not. Over time, my roles changed. I was divorced. My parents passed. I experienced painful estrangements and major illness. And through it all—showing up, struggling, transitioning—I found unexpected lifelines: family, friends, books, projects and small, quiet gestures that kept me afloat. This isn’t a self-help blog. It’s more of a help-yourself-while-I-stumble-through blog. It’s about the collective…
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Nailed It
My nails were never glamorous. Short and trimmed, they were practical — fitting easily inside latex exam gloves. Well-suited for a busy life as a mom and physician. But when my wedding rolled around, I opted for the total bride experience: hair styling, manicure, pedicure, and makeup. I arrived at a local nail salon owned by a tiny, energetic woman named Kim. I don’t speak Vietnamese. She barely spoke English. Kim inspected my stubby nails and recommended tapered extensions for a more elegant look. Reclining in an oversized massage chair, a technician worked on my feet while Kim expertly trimmed and buffed my shaggy cuticles. When they finished, I slid…
