MotherhoodJuly 22, 2026
I’m a Lucky Mom
Mari: I should be the one to thank you because you’re the one who made me in your tummy, right? Me: (Stunned by her answer.) But you grew inside my tummy, so thank you.…
home is where our story continues
Collected moments
From the journal
Stories of becoming, belonging, and finding home between two countries.
I’m a Lucky Mom
Mari: I should be the one to thank you because you’re the one who made me in your tummy, right? Me: (Stunned by her answer.) But you grew inside my tummy, so thank you.…
Awakening
It’s almost midnight, but I’m fully awake. With my phone in my hands tapping letters on the screen, under the blanket. I’m feeling guilty. I promised myself to not use screens before bedtime anymore.…
03
April – the Start of a New Beginning in Japan
The end of March is, in fact, one of the busiest times for moving companies, as university students relocate closer to their chosen universities or entire families move to accommodate a husband’s new job.…
04
Mari’s Great-grandma
No one is ever ready to face the passing of a loved one, no matter how sick or old they are. It is the only truth that people keep on denying. Losing a loved…
05
11 Things in Japan That Surprised Me As a Filipino
I came to Japan in the spring of 2011 when my sister who lives in Japan invited me for a month-long spring vacation. During my stay (and even up to now) there are several…
The end of my breastfeeding journey
Breastfeeding is hard in the beginning, harder in the end, and hardest when it’s over. I literally cried silent tears tonight afte my little girl, for the fifth night, slept without breastfeeding. I felt…
A note from Maryan
Two homes. One unfolding story.
Stories to Tell is a personal journal about life, love, family, culture, and the everyday discoveries that connect the Philippines and Japan.