Hello Again.
It's been more than four months since my last post.
To be honest, I wasn't planning on staying away this long. Life simply had other plans.
Many of you have sent messages asking where I've been, if I'm okay, and when AskMeWhats would be active again. Thank you for checking in. Even during my silence, knowing this little corner of the internet was still here waiting for me meant more than you'll ever know.
The truth is... these past few months have been the hardest our family has ever experienced.
It all started when my dad was admitted to the ICU. What we thought would be a short hospital stay turned into two long months filled with uncertainty, hope, prayers, sleepless nights, and countless trips between home and the hospital. Every day became a waiting game. Every small improvement felt like a victory, while every setback tested our faith a little more.
Then came the day none of us were ready for.
Last May, my dad peacefully passed away.
No matter how much you try to prepare yourself, I don't think anyone is ever truly ready to say goodbye to a parent.
Grief has a strange way of changing everything. It doesn't just make you cry. It changes your routines, your priorities, your energy, and even the things that once brought you joy.
For the first time in the almost two decades that AskMeWhats has existed, I found myself keeping myself busier each day, not because I have so many things to do -- my routine and work are the same, it's just that I am finding myself to move more (physically) because I need to let out my grief that way. Not because I am trying to run away from pain, but it is how I put into "words" what my heart was carrying.
And truth be told, after the challenging first half of the year, the remaining months have continued to test us in ways I never imagined.
So today, for the first time in over four months, I'm sitting down in the quiet, opening my laptop, and writing again. This may very well be one of the most personal blog posts I've ever shared.
Not because I have all the answers.
But because I've finally found the courage to let go of some of the anxiety I've been holding onto and simply share my heart. If there's one thing grief has taught me, it's that life doesn't suddenly become easier after the funeral, after the 40th day, or even after the 100th day. The world continues to move forward while you're still trying to figure out how to live in a world that suddenly feels so different.
And AskMeWhats.com has always been my safe space, a space where I share everything I love which was Beauty, Hair, Nails, Fashion, Food....
AskMeWhats has never been just about just that....this blog has quietly grown with me through different seasons of my life. It has celebrated milestones, witnessed my happiest moments, and now, it's also becoming a place where I can be honest about my most difficult ones.
Because that's what life is. It's not always perfectly filtered photos and beautifully curated moments.
Sometimes it's sitting in silence, missing someone so deeply that even the simplest things feel different. Sometimes it's learning to smile again without feeling guilty.
Sometimes it's realizing that healing isn't about moving on—it's about learning to carry love and loss together.
Don't be surprised if the next post you see is about a beauty event, a skincare discovery, or a product review.
That's how I deal with life's challenges.
I keep moving.
I find comfort in familiar routines, in discovering little things that spark joy, in creating content, taking photos, writing reviews, and sharing moments that remind me life still has so much beauty to offer.
I know there will still be difficult days. There will be moments when grief catches me off guard. But I also know my dad would want me to smile again, to keep creating, to keep inspiring, and to keep doing what I've loved for almost two decades.
So if you see me excitedly talking about the latest lipstick, a hair treatment, or my newest café find, know that behind every post is a heart that's still healing.
And maybe that's the most beautiful thing I've learned this year—that healing and happiness can exist together.
I love you AMW Fam!
