Catalina Khalaj
Stories (4/0)
Resting in Hope
Back in January 2021, I decided to take a short break from work. At the time, I had been a nurse in a primary care clinic for a little over two years and had been suffering from severe Covid19 pandemic-related burnout. Since then, I have had not only the chance to rest but also the opportunity to reflect – more intensely than ever before – on the purpose of my life. Initially, I struggled with disquietude and a sense of aimless drifting. That was until a good friend mentioned to me that someone working for a humanitarian organization had been looking for extra help with visiting the growing homeless camps in the city of Tacoma, Washington. I took up the offer and joined a group of very compassionate and selfless individuals, who stopped by the camps to check on the residents almost every other weekend, if not every weekend.
By Catalina Khalaj11 months ago in Serve
The Power of Overcast Stitches and Lace Appliques
The gentle hum of my maternal grandmother's sewing machine wafted from her small colorful bedroom. That was the sound I woke up to every morning of the first summer holiday I had ever spent with her. Drawn by curiosity, I cleaned up, got dressed, and slipped into her bedroom to see what she was working on. At first she wasn't aware of my presence, since the sewing machine buzzed and she sat with her back to the door. Then she heard me chuckle in amusement as I watched the lower part of her body swing in her chair every time her foot pressed down the sewing machine's pedal. She looked like a swan waddling her way across the soil, after a full day on the lake.
By Catalina Khalaj11 months ago in Families
