A story from my heart for Mother's Day

Moms shape who we are 💑 

MOMs teach ✍️ us the lessons we never forget👣 

Moms show us what love 💗looks like.

My mother faced a lot of heartbreaks in her life, but it never made her hard. I was still young when she passed away at the young age of 49. However, the amount of lessons I learned from my mom in the short time shaped the way I am. I am blessed to have her in my life. 

I’m told I had a big brother, though I never met him. He passed away before I was born. We weren’t allowed to talk about him in my household, but I know for sure that my mother was crushed. 

My mother’s grief softened over time but began to show itself in a different way. She dressed me in boy’s clothes and gave me a boy's haircut. It was like she was trying to hold on to the spirit of my brother by having me dress like him.

I didn't understand this until many years later because I wasn’t told about my big brother when I was young, but I went along with it because I just wanted to make my mother smile. I loved to see her smile. 

This continued on for many years until one day I returned home from school in a panic. There was blood on the inside of my pants and I was sure I must be dying! I ran to my mom, begging for her to save me from certain death. 

My mother smiled calmly and proudly. 

She explained that I had just got my first period. 

This meant I was a woman now 💃

️She said to me, "Kristina, I'm going to buy you a dress, and we will grow out your hair. You're a woman now!" 

Her bright smile made me calm down immediately. My mother seemed to think this was a very good thing! 

Along with the good news that she would buy me dresses and that I could grow my hair longer, she gave me the following advice: 

“Never let any boys or men touch your hand - you’ll get pregnant!” 

Though this advice sounds a little bizarre and funny in retrospect, please laugh with me 😉, it worked like a charm: I never let any man touch me until I met my husband when I was 30 years old.

So I have my mom to thank for waiting until I met a good man to take care of me, too. 

I love you forever, Mom. Happy Mother’s Day 💗💗

To all of you reading this, I hope you are surrounded by love this Mother’s Day. Whether it's your first Mother's Day with a new precious baby, or you're celebrating with a mom in heaven, I hope that you take the time to reflect on how lucky the world is to have Moms like you and like the ones we've been blessed with! 

As a special Mother’s Day offer, Beauty Journey is offering a  travel-size Eraser Serum and Peptide Cream (value $40) for free with any treatment you book from May 6th - May 9th.

Book your Mother's Day appointment right now by clicking here! 

See you soon, 

Kristina

For a complete skin consultation, make an appointment with one of Beauty Journey’s expert estheticians by schedule online appointment or contact beautyjourney@gmail.com if you need further information.

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My One & Only Lovely Dad

Have a happy father's day!

This year, father’s Day can be an emotional time of year because my dad is no longer with me. But whether you’re young, old, a parent, or child, just because your father has passed away doesn’t mean you have to bury yourself under the covers and wait for the day to be over.

One of the best ways to grieve the loss of my father on Father’s Day is going to the cemetery. To remember my loving father, I foster warm memories and live the happy and joyful life my father expected me to live.

Looking back

I have always bragged and unapologetically been proud of my father who is undoubtedly the most handsome, generous, and loving man. He had natural gravitation that made him loved by many.

Why do I feel this way?

He never had the opportunity to receive a formal education but his curiosity and ambition enabled him to find innovative ways to learn. He built his knowledge by veering into school windows and reading books and newspapers to grasp the material!

Everything he learned, he learned by observation and he mastered the ability to speak many different languages, including Teochew Chinese, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Vietnamese.

He took two roles in my close-knit family after my mom passed away in the solemn year of 1986. He worked hard to care for his children. His nobility never once allowed him to complain and he graciously took on the role of both mother and father. To the end, he was always independent, never imparting his burden to his children, and always putting the needs of others before himself.

His generosity was shown through his love to give to others and never ask for anything in return. A man of principles, he willingly gave from his heart.

His true one-of-a-kind nature was stern yet loving; a man of simple words, who showed his love through meaning and action. He was of strong character, both mentally and physically, and at the end of his life, he showed determination with commitments to being a righteous man.

Dad, I am missed dearly you and your efforts will forever influence and deeply impact my life forever.