shalini somayaji

This past Friday was a whirlwind. I was in my bedroom reading and listening to music so I didn’t hear the impending doom that was happening in my kitchen. Thankfully, my dog started whining and forced me to pay attention. …

I knew I was in trouble when I felt numb while listening to a constituent share details of the violence she was experiencing in her home. This was when I was an advocate for survivors of violence years ago. She…

We don’t ever know what someone else is going through. I was sad to learn of Naomi Judd’s death by suicide a few weeks ago. She and her daughter, Wynonna (the famous country music duo – the Judds) were to…

Have you jumped on the Wordle craze? For those not in the know, it’s a daily 5-letter word puzzle that you have 6 tries to guess. It’s a fun way to bond with my family as we compare how many…

Sadly this week, I was reminded how anti-Blackness continues to be prevalent in the Asian community. The reminder came from Jennie, a new cast member of the ‘Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.’  She came on to the show with…

I regularly watch “All American,” a show about football in Los Angeles. I’m not into sports but enjoy the show for its characters and definitely Taye Diggs. 🙂 Its main character, Spencer, continues to take accountability for other people’s actions…

I became an executive director in my 20s. I remember being so excited that I was entrusted with this role, however, it was awkward. I was a colleague and then became the boss. I didn’t know how to navigate the conversations…

Grief has been on my mind lately, especially with darkness starting earlier with the time change. A loss of a way of life. Bearing witness to the fragility of life as I spent a few months with my aging parents. …

I’ve been hearing more about burnout lately from my community. People aren’t able to set boundaries between work and home life since many are still working virtually. I believe that camaraderie is an antidote to burnout because when you build that emotional…