Leila Tualla: Mama, Author, & Advocate
  • HOME
  • about me
  • Blog
  • News & bookshelf
    • Media
    • Books >
      • Letters to Lenora
      • Love, Defined
    • Poetry >
      • PMDD & me (poetry chapbook)
      • Storm of Hope
    • Anthologies >
      • The Sacred Feminine II
      • The Poetry Marathon 2021
      • Remnants of Home
      • Poetica II
  • ADVOCACY
    • RESOURCES for PMDD warriors >
      • IAPMD
    • Community resources for moms >
      • Pregnancy and Postpartum Support
      • 2020 Mom
      • Preeclampsia
      • Momma's Voices
      • Shades of Blue Project
  • Contact

                 a blog for all things motherhood                               

December and a decade to remember

12/14/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
looking back through the years
Picture
New Years' Eve with Nugget, 2008.
Picture
Trying to "touch the sky" on Mt. Evans, Colorado. 9/2010
Picture
Summer 2019

2009 - 2019. Have you seen those decade challenge on Facebook? I haven't had a chance to participate yet. But apparently, since I can't find a 2009 picture of me anywhere....I wouldn't have been able to participate in said decade challenge. 
Wowzers, what have I accomplished in 10 years?

I had 2 lovely babies (2012, and 2015).
I went from working gal (2009) to stay at home ('13 and '16 through now).
I learned about Preeclampsia in 2012.
I understood grace and kindness from being in a postpartum depression storm (2015).
I learned what strength comes from surviving storms.
I became a volunteer for International Association For Premenstrual Disorders  last year and went one step further and started lending a hand as a Peer Support Provider (PSP).
I published my first book in 2012 and dabbled with poetry.
​I lent what courage I had and started submitting works to various anthologies. I'm so proud to say that my words are in 9 different anthologies, some benefiting mental health charities like MIND UK and NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness).


Picture
Picture
Picture
Celebrating our 10 year anniversary
Picture

Picture

Picture
At my very first book signing in 2012!
Picture
Where I believed all things were possible. 2nd book, a poetry collection and journal entries. 2017
Picture
One of the first couple of poetry publications that took me in!
Picture
One of my faves indie publishers

If I can sum up what I've learned, and lost, and gained in a decade with just one word, I would say, "transformative," but that feels like a cop out. I should hope everyone's decade was transformative. I hope everyone saw growth, and happiness, and learned from triumph, and walked away from negativity, and pain.
I don't know if at the brink of 2009 I pictured my decade challenge looking like this. This messy, perfectly chaotic,  constantly changing view of self but I'm feeling hopeful, and secure about this coming one. I went from dreaming what was possible to living what could be, finding out my whys of existing, and grabbing hold of a passion. I want my next decade to continue to live with purpose. 
If this decade of going from mid to late 20s to mid to late 30s has been transformative.
​My word for the following 10 years would be AUDACITY.
I want to have the audacity to write about maternal mental health and speak to others about my lived in experiences.
I want to be bold enough to speak up about what I am: author, writer, poet, versus the identities that are my current seasons: stay at home mama, substitute teacher.
My identities of always aspirating for more. 

I want to have the audacity to pick up that sword fighting class I say I'm going to do and be a black belt, sword fighting ninja or run across a finish line 13 1/2 miles away. 
I want to be bold in speaking up about my faith, my courage, my dreams and hopes.

I want to have the audacity to do
and take
and be
and say
and live for Christ
​this coming decade. ​​

May your Christmas be bright, your year be sparkly and new.
Happy Holidays and a bright decade is my wish for you. 
​- Leila

0 Comments
    Picture

    Hi, there!

    I drink too  much coffee, read too many books, and in between raising miracle babies, I find time to write.


    Books

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    RSS Feed


    Categories

    All
    #anthology
    #authorinterviews
    #blog
    #booknews
    #christianfiction
    #coverreveal
    #guestposts
    #homeschool
    #monthlygoal
    #motherhoodseries
    #NEWS
    #novella
    #pmdd
    #poetry
    #preeclampsia
    #things
    #WIP


    Tweets by @LeilaTualla

    Archives

    January 2023
    October 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017

Hi there! Here's a quick bio

Picture

Leila Tualla is a Filipino-American poet and author based in Houston, Tx. Leila’s books include a YA contemporary romance called Letters to Lenora and a memoir/poetry collection called Storm of Hope: God, Preeclampsia, Depression and me. Her poetry is featured in several mental health anthologies and she is currently working on a poetry collection based on Asian American stereotypes and identifies. Her chapbook “pmdd & me,” will be out this Spring 2022. ​

Contact Me

    Subscribe Today!

Submit
  • HOME
  • about me
  • Blog
  • News & bookshelf
    • Media
    • Books >
      • Letters to Lenora
      • Love, Defined
    • Poetry >
      • PMDD & me (poetry chapbook)
      • Storm of Hope
    • Anthologies >
      • The Sacred Feminine II
      • The Poetry Marathon 2021
      • Remnants of Home
      • Poetica II
  • ADVOCACY
    • RESOURCES for PMDD warriors >
      • IAPMD
    • Community resources for moms >
      • Pregnancy and Postpartum Support
      • 2020 Mom
      • Preeclampsia
      • Momma's Voices
      • Shades of Blue Project
  • Contact