Growing up with a Filipino mother and Indian father in Canada, Harlin D Souza shares an honest reflection on identity, language, and the quiet insecurities of not feeling “Filipino enough.” This personal essay explores what it means to belong—not through appearance or fluency but through intentional connection and self-acceptance.

From authors to mothers, each lesson we have been taught is one we hold close to and cherish. These moments of wisdom continue to shape us and how we view the world. Here are some inspiring women and how they have influenced our contributors. 

The album is a rollercoaster of emotions that continues her story of love, loss, and self-discovery.

My reflection as a creative on International Muslim Women’s Day By Sania Ali Much like the difficulty of holding hot coals in your hands, the Prophet (pbuh) said that there will come a time when holding onto your faith mimics this exact struggle. Muslim Women’s Day is a day of celebration. It’s a day to put aside the political, personal, and social views society may hold of Muslim women and celebrate them for who they are. Despite the external and internal battles Muslim wome

Maybe in an alternate universe, I’ll attend Oxford. Maybe I already did. The dream, and my academic validation, still remain.

It takes a very strong person to recognize, push through, and overcome that previous mindset

Revenge is a dish best served with spicy peanut noodles— and it tastes like a lot of self-love

How acceptance and love validated my truth

Memories of my time working at an ice cream shop, and a journey through the many moods that one dessert can elicit

The word ‘foreign’ does not belong in my vocabulary

Too Indian for the Caucasian people and too Caucasian for the Indian people

Reflecting on the pain of growing up different

After rude comments from my driving instructor, getting into a car accident, and failing my G2 test, I wondered if I should stop driving