Happily ever after, redefined
Like other young people, I believed in happily ever after. I believed that love conquers all and that if we set out to follow our passion, everything would naturally fall into place.
I had a picture-perfect life by forty: married with two daughters, worked for the World Health Organization, created a film about my family, and founded one of the best restaurants in Vancouver. 2020 saw the global pandemic, our hospitality industry took a huge hit, and my marriage came to an end.
I hid my struggles while doing everything to save it. Counselling, cooking, cleaning, hiding my achievements, you name it. The more I tried, the more I failed miserably. I held onto my fairy tale so tightly – afraid of what people would think, afraid of disappointing our families, afraid that I would no longer be a role model for the most important humans in my life – my daughters. I had three choices: accept the status quo, leave with resentment, or stay with a different mindset.
If you really know me, you’ll know I thrive on challenging the status quo. I am also so joyful that I would not let drama or hate weigh me down. The only thing left was to pivot. I reached out for guidance and, in turn, gained light-years of wisdom and courage. I began trusting that things happen for me, not to me. I accepted this failure as a learning opportunity. I let go of perfection and dismissed fairy tale myths and cultural norms. I welcomed a new way of being. This shift freed my spirit. For the first time in a long time, I connected with my partner on a far deeper level. We experienced how we can redefine our family.
Today we are consciously uncoupling. We are committed to raising our daughters together with love, respect, generosity, and compassion. I have never been more excited to reinvent our family’s story.
It is not what happens to us, but how we respond that defines us. I learned that I cannot always get what I want, but all I need to do is shift my mind, and the rest will follow.
Connect with Amelie:
Sister & Co-founder, Anh and Chi
m: 778 999 9469 | e: amelie@anhandchi.com
IG @anhandchi FB @anhandchiYVR Twitter @anhandchi
Award-winning documentary: Mẹ ‘Mother’ | Community leadership: PechaKucha Vol 47
