Family

Made in China Mom

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So….it’s been a while! I have probably started a dozen of posts with sentiments about it being so long since I blogged…and this post will start the same! Although, I will say that I have quite the good reason for it being so long. Introducing….my little cutie pie who is now 4 months old. To say that life has changed a lot since my last posting in September 2022 would be an understatement. Especially with my latest addition…it feels like I have lived many lives since he was born even! I am still very much living in Shanghai.

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Sheryl in Shanghai Part I

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Well, this is one of the first few extended moments I’ve had to sit down and do some writing on what I’ve been up to since my mom arrived last week! It’s really been a whirlwind and I give her major props for keeping up the the crazy long days and excursions I’ve planned. I met my mom at the airport, shuttled her back to my apartment and told her to pack for the next day! What a trooper. I wonder where I get my go go go attitude and lifestyle…..for those of you that don’t know me that’s a joke. I got it from my mom, the original energizer bunny.

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Connections and Connecting in Shanghai

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“The quality of our lives depend on the quality of our relationships.” -Esther Perel

Lately I have been focusing on the different relationships in my lives including with myself, friends, family, colleagues, students and the new people I meet everyday in Shanghai. Esther Perel is a psychotherapist who is most known for writing about intimate relationships in her best selling novels, TED talk and podcast that I have started listening to. She is so in-tune with relationship dynamics and I continue to listen to her podcast which is groundbreaking in its approach and look into different relationships and the complex elements that life brings.

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Book Review: Carry On, Warrior

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“Life is Brutiful.”

I am not sure how I stumbled across the brilliant human that is Glennon Doyle Melton, however I know that my life has changed because of the words of this wise and wonderful woman. I know that I first watched her TED talk titled “Lessons from the Mental Hospital” and absolutely loved it. She is honest, real, hilarious and is one of those people you know that the world is better because of. She talks about being honest, leaving our shame at the door and how sharing our secrets and stories to the world is what possibly may change it forever. She is perhaps known best for starting her blog, momestary, which turned into a book Carry On, Warrior and it’s sequel that is on my list, Love Warrior. #IWantToBeGlennonWhenIGrowUp

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Family that are Friends and Friends that are Family

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“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.”

– Tim Cahill

Hey friends!

Yesterday I got back from a whirlwind trip to New York to spend time with friends and catch up on lots of times and adventures that we have all had. Everyone talks about New York as if it is this land where dreams come true; and it is. However, for me, New York means good friends. I told one of my friends that I would be just as happy sitting in her apartment and eating donuts…not going to any attractions or doing whatever a typical New Yorker or tourist does. And I meant it. There is something so special when you find friends that you know will be in your life forever. People tend to come and go in life and thats just part of the rhythm…but I deeply value those who are part of my life and who allow me to part of theirs. Nothing is more special or magical. Money will only buy you so much; but it will never be able to buy you time or friends or family.

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Feel, Trust, Love: Lessons from the Past Week

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It has been a fairly wonderful past week that was filled with learning to ride a scooter…on a roof, biking up to the Boulder Falls (painful incline), some amazing rooftop dinners with friends, sunsets and sunrises and overall beautiful times with great people. Oh and then I got sick and went into full blown hibernation mode and also realised that I had two exams this week. Classic.

My favourite part of the past week was yesterday where I listened to a beautiful message about learning to

Feel, Trust and Love

especially when the world feels broken. In honour of September 11th, we will all never forget.

-Kaila

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