September is a season of reset.
The air cools, routines return, and the chaos of summer gives way to school schedules and packed lunches.
This year, I stood at the bus stop with my little boy, hand in hand, heart in throat. I was the anxious parent, the one who leans onto the bus just to make sure he’s okay. What I saw eased me: older kids helping him gather his things, guiding him with the kind of rugged kindness that reminds me community is everywhere, even on a yellow school bus.
Later, he told me they sing K-pop Demon Hunters songs together. Songs about acceptance, about being yourself, about inclusion wrapped in pop melodies. He said he tried to sing along. I smiled, because it feels like the soundtrack to this chapter of our lives, resilience in chorus form.
Parenting, Work, and Building Trust
Our walks to and from the bus stop are simple but sacred. His small hand in mine. At the end of the day, my little girl runs into our home and demands hugs. I kiss her chubby little toddler cheeks. My thoughts drift between parenting and work: in revenue consulting, where my business partner and I help businesses grow so they can keep paying their humans. At night, I write and I code. I’m building AI projects that keep me up in the best possible way – experiments in how systems can scale without losing trust.
We’ve been spending more time with friends lately too, building our small and mighty community. It reminds me of how Gwi-ma wasn’t defeated by hate or exclusion, but by acceptance. Of Rumi, Zoey and Mira not “hiding the colours inside their head, letting the jagged meet the light instead, and after breaking into a million pieces and now seeing all the beauty in the broken glass.”
Gratitude in the Everyday
Life is full. Life is good. Both kiddos are healthy and thriving. I am doing meaningful work. I get to hold little hands, pack lunches that integrate both being healthy and a treat, and build things that help humans around me get paid and feed their families bellies.
Honestly? I cannot ask for anything more.
– Emi
Home » Notes to Self » September Notes: School Buses, K-Pop Demon Hunters, and Gratitude
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September Notes: School Buses, K-Pop Demon Hunters, and Gratitude
September is a season of reset.
The air cools, routines return, and the chaos of summer gives way to school schedules and packed lunches.
This year, I stood at the bus stop with my little boy, hand in hand, heart in throat. I was the anxious parent, the one who leans onto the bus just to make sure he’s okay. What I saw eased me: older kids helping him gather his things, guiding him with the kind of rugged kindness that reminds me community is everywhere, even on a yellow school bus.
Later, he told me they sing K-pop Demon Hunters songs together. Songs about acceptance, about being yourself, about inclusion wrapped in pop melodies. He said he tried to sing along. I smiled, because it feels like the soundtrack to this chapter of our lives, resilience in chorus form.
Parenting, Work, and Building Trust
Our walks to and from the bus stop are simple but sacred. His small hand in mine. At the end of the day, my little girl runs into our home and demands hugs. I kiss her chubby little toddler cheeks. My thoughts drift between parenting and work: in revenue consulting, where my business partner and I help businesses grow so they can keep paying their humans. At night, I write and I code. I’m building AI projects that keep me up in the best possible way – experiments in how systems can scale without losing trust.
We’ve been spending more time with friends lately too, building our small and mighty community. It reminds me of how Gwi-ma wasn’t defeated by hate or exclusion, but by acceptance. Of Rumi, Zoey and Mira not “hiding the colours inside their head, letting the jagged meet the light instead, and after breaking into a million pieces and now seeing all the beauty in the broken glass.”
Gratitude in the Everyday
Life is full. Life is good. Both kiddos are healthy and thriving. I am doing meaningful work. I get to hold little hands, pack lunches that integrate both being healthy and a treat, and build things that help humans around me get paid and feed their families bellies.
Honestly? I cannot ask for anything more.
– Emi
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