My First Lesson from the Year of the Rat

Most of my beautiful family 

 It's the Year of the Rat y'all. The inauguration of a new 12-year cycle of animal zodiac signs (holler to my fellow tigers!). The photo above features my parents, both brothers and their families, and my aunt. My mom is notorious for RBF, but she looks quite joyful in this photo. When my aunt texted this shot to me, I felt warmth rise up in my stomach. I smiled at the sight of their smiling faces. I laughed at my brothers and their fancy traditional Vietnamese attire (they don't usually wear these!). The warmth in my stomach took me by surprise. I didn't feel guilty for not being there with my parents. I didn't experience any FOMO. I genuinely felt happy for my family, that they could be together celebrating, even though I wasn't there to join them. This lack of guilt and experience of pure joy for my family stood out to me as a milestone for the self-love I've been cultivating over the past few months. 

You see, the lunar new year is meant to be spent with your family. But this year, I chose to spend the new year's day alone. I found my way to a Vietnamese temple in Hayward, did my prayers, made my donation, picked up my li xi envelopes, meditated for a few minutes, and observed the joy and celebration of other Vietnamese families. I felt really happy doing these things on my own. For many reasons, I was meant to spend the start of this new zodiac cycle with just myself. The joy I felt on this day showed that my love for others can feel so abundant if the love within myself is present and full. 

Chúc Mừng Năm Mới everyone! Wishing you all a year of boundless self love, easeful joy, peace of mind, and healthy wellbeing. 

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