Heirlooms of Joy 💎

Teo's first Baby Band class and generational creativity 🥁

You know those rare, out-of-body moments where you just want to freeze time and soak it all in? Like, WOW, this is incredible…let me download this straight into my heart forever.

That’s exactly how I felt a few weeks ago, sitting cross-legged on the floor of a fluorescent-lit room at the local library. Around me: a chaotic spread of tambourines, shakers, a giant communal drum, and a sea of giggling babies with their parents.

It was Teo’s very first music class—Baby Band—and it was pure magic. 🤩

My umma (mother), Nick, and I all came together to share this moment, and from the second we stepped in (a few minutes fashionably late), we were immersed in delightful chaos.

Teo settled in quickly, wide-eyed, watching the other babies before he reached out to the big drum in the center. He slapped it tentatively at first, then giggled, and soon burst into a full-body smile as he kept drumming.

I felt my heart burst with joy.

Reclaiming Joy Across Generations

I LOVE drums. Seeing Teo’s delight as he played the drums felt like in that moment, a spark of creativity passed down through generations.

I thought about my umma, whose biggest dream growing up was to become an opera singer.

She’s incredibly talented and passionate, but like so many of us, she set aside her passion for something “more realistic.” Later, she gave up music altogether to focus on motherhood.

She tells me that giving up singing was her biggest regret. And it’s something she’s urged me so many times, don’t give up all parts of yourself for motherhood—protect your spark, even if it shows up in a different way than you anticipated.

She wishes she hadn’t lost the part of herself that made her feel the most alive and fulfilled: music, her voice, performing.

It’s something I encourage her to this day to reclaim in fun, low-stakes ways like singing to Teo. She recently choreographed a dance to the Tadpole Song, a Korean children’s song, and she and I “performed” it for Teo at bedtime. 😂 He loved it.

I see echoes of her story in my own life. When I immigrated, I let go of my first creative love—dancing.

I set it aside again to focus on school and later, my career. For years, I thought it was too late to return to dance as a modality of my creative expression.

But in 2022, I reclaimed that part of my life through learning traditional Korean dance.

Practicing this dance has allowed me to reconnect with my inner child, feel a direct line of connection to my ancestors, and integrate my somatic healing journey in the most joyful way.

I even performed while pregnant with Teo, and it made me feel so connected to him. We were performing together on that stage, together with the spirit of our ancestors. It was his very first performance, in utero!

One of my favorite dances is the Jindo Drum Dance, and when I learned I was pregnant and didn’t want to strap the drum around my belly, I found creative ways to continue to access this connection.

I listened to Korean drum music throughout my pregnancy, and I had visions of us drumming and dancing together in the future.

That dream felt far away, until a few weeks ago, when I saw Teo’s face light up as he pounded on the drum. His glee, the sparkle in my umma’s eyes as she watched, Nick and I fully present, soaking it all in…

This moment sparked the same feelings in me as when I first had visions of me and Teo drumming and dancing together: feelings of awe, expansion, and giddy wonder.

Beyond Breaking Cycles

For years, I’ve carried a question that became more and more relevant as I embarked on my motherhood journey:

• What lies on the other side of breaking generational cycles of trauma?

Here’s what I believe:

Generational healing isn’t just about stopping pain from being passed down.

It’s also about intentionally passing down heirlooms of joy. 💎

Teo’s first Baby Band class was one of those heirlooms.

Your Creativity Isn’t Over

Becoming a mom doesn’t mean your creativity ends.

In fact, it can deepen, evolve, and expand. It can become generational creativity.

It’s never too late to rediscover what lights you up. Whether it’s:

• Dancing, writing, or painting

• Starting or resurrecting that dream business

• Making up a song to soothe your baby with

• A passion that’s waiting to be rekindled or discovered

• Or something as simple as singing “Row Row Row Your Boat” at Baby Band class

Your story isn’t over. It’s just beginning.

If you’re looking to move beyond survival mode and come home to your whole self, integrating the parts of you, to show up as the multidimensional mother, artist, partner, human you want to be, my 1:1 coaching program is designed for you.

➡️ Book a free consultation today to start feeling supported, empowered, and expansive.

Rooting for you,

Eunice

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Hi 👋🏼 I'm Eunice (she/her).

I’m a Somatic Business Coach for visionary daughters of immigrants, entrepreneurs, and creatives. I help you embody your brilliance, shine unapologetically, and create a thriving business and life you love, without burning out. ❤️‍🔥

Learn more about me & my 1:1 coaching.

Curious about what it could look like for you? ➡️⁠⁠ Book a Free 1:1 Clarity Call⁠⁠.