Teach them how to love and they will follow. Teach them how to hate and they will follow. I choose the former. Hugs and kisses to you all this weekend from Duke and Bella! ❤️❤️❤️❤️ #duke #squirmy #Bella #babies #weekendvibes

Getting to be on the court with Squirm and having him watch me hit for the very first time was so surreal. I was taken aback at how emotional I got. Maybe it’s because I was never that little girl who dreamt of getting married or having kids, so having all these significant pieces of my life collide and come together was so beautifully overwhelming. • I’m grateful I’ll be able to share this passion of mine with our son. As a mother, I’m also excited I’ll be able to teach him about life in ways that are different and extend beyond the home, park or classroom. Sports, if used appropriately, can be such a powerful vehicle in educating kids about discipline, focus, intention, physical strength, mental stamina, teamwork - the list goes on. Coming from someone who had a very intense childhood in sports, my advice to parents is: • 1) Adopt a holistic approach and focus on developing the CHILD, not just the athlete. • 2) Allow them to play, explore, and have fun. Don’t worry so much about instruction in the beginning, because creative expression is a huge part of a child’s development. • 3) Participate with your child. Don’t be that parent who’s yelling on the sidelines but has never once attempted to play that sport. A child learns best through actions and behavior rather than through the volume of one’s words. Role modeling is ALWAYS the best form of instruction. And you, the parent, will also develop an appreciation for how difficult sports really are. ❤️ #tennis #sport #sports #live #laugh #love #coaching #psychology #morethananathlete #parenting #parent #motherhood #athlete

Title: A different kind of convo with my dad. • Between the #BlackLivesMatter movement, my multicultural class, and me being the parent of a biracial kid, I’m seeking answers to questions I’ve never asked before. Had a much-needed, 2-hour long discussion with my Dad about all things culture, race, and identity. • Why do Asians think this way? Why do Thai people think that way? How do you feel about colorism? Did you sanitize your experience as an immigrant so I could assimilate easily? What racism/oppression did you experience? Did you know I experienced it? Assimilation, acceptance, denial, accusing, blaming, learning, loving... • If we want to reclaim the present and future, I believe we have to understand our past. While my relationship with my parents is very strong/open, this was def one of the harder convos I’ve ever had. Altho we disagreed on some things, I’m so grateful my parents/dad are open-minded enough to listen and answer my probing questions. I’m a little late for the Father’s Day post, but I don’t need a special day to recognize mine. With gratitude and love 🙏🏽, this really really old pic is for my amazing father. Hopefully this post encourages others to sit down with their parents/loved ones and ask those really painful, difficult questions. Because learning from our elders/ancestors IS part of the solution. 🙏🏽 #father #fathersday #daddy #daddysgirl😘 #race #culture #identity #blacklivesmatter #doctoralstudent #studentoflife #waybackwednesday

Crazy this was 8 years ago, but awesome that we can still connect and have conversations of all kinds. I’ve learned that friendships aren’t just about support/agreement. It’s about discourse, asking questions, exchanging ideas, and learning from one another. If you can do that and grow with one another, that’s a damn beautiful thing. 🙏🏽 W/ @donbellphotography. #throwbackthursday #throwback #pocoloco #ct #puertorico #friends #friendship #conversation #live #laugh #love #life #lifeinprogress #art #sports #race #socialissues #blacklivesmatter #inspiration #motivation

Incubating, reflecting, reading, writing, learning, and most importantly, growing. I’m seeing firsthand how true progress can never be achieved alone or in a silo. On this wonderful Saturday, I encourage everyone to ==> ask questions rather than blurting out your opinions, read a book rather than relying on Twitter for all your insight, and seek connection rather than conflict. 🙏🏽 Feeling hopeful. #saturday #saturdayvibes #blacklivesmatter #coronavirus #pandemic #life #hope #psychology #happiness #believe #inspiration #motivation #phd #progress #kswiss #thestartup