March is a month of celebration for Cup of Tyh. It marks another year of this blog—a space that began as a personal journal and evolved into a platform that inspires, informs, and connects people.

Cup of Tyh is not just about my journey as an immigrant, but also about my journey as a woman—one who had dreams, faced doubts, overcame struggles, and found purpose in the most unexpected places.

Growing up, I never saw myself as someone who could confidently speak in front of a crowd. I was always insecure about my voice, worried that I might mispronounce words or that my thoughts wouldn’t come out right. But I always had stories inside me. Writing became my safe space, the place where I could express myself without fear of judgment.

I was in high school when I discovered my love for writing. I joined essay writing contests, I became a contributor writer of the school newspaper and even had some of my stories published in local comics at the age of 16. But life has a way of pushing our passions aside when our priorities change and responsibilities take over. When I was in college, I didn’t have much time to write, until I graduated and started working, I barely had time to sit down and write my thoughts down.

I went bank to writing in early 2000, until I discovered Blogger and WordPress in 2009, a time when blogging became a mainstream form of expression. Before Cup of Tyh existed, there was Momsiecle—short for Momsie’s Circle. The name Momsie came from my nephew, whom I took care of from when he was a baby until he was around 12. He called me Momsie and it stuck. It became a term of endearment, a name that held a special place in my heart.

Momsiecle started as a blog where I shared my life as a mom, an immigrant, and a woman navigating new challenges in Canada. For years, it grew, even reaching 128,000 followers on Facebook. But in 2017, my page was hacked. Though I recovered it, I lost so many of my important posts and a huge part of my audience. It felt like a heartbreaking loss, but instead of giving up, I decided to rebuild and rebrand. That’s when Cup of Tyh was born.

This time, I wanted to expand my blog beyond just immigrant stories. I wanted to share life lessons, parenting struggles, financial wisdom, and everything in between. I wanted Cup of Tyh to be a place where women—especially moms like me—could find something they could relate to.

When I first started writing, my only intention was to document my experiences in Canada—the cultural shocks, the struggles of adjusting to an entirely different climate, and the difficulties of starting over in a new country. But I never realized that my words would reach and impact so many others.

Slowly, I began receiving messages from people—some asking for advice about immigrating, some seeking guidance on settling in Canada, and some just sharing how much they resonated with my experiences. I started building friendships with my readers. I even met some of them in person—some I helped find jobs, some I became a reference for during their background checks, and some remain my close friends to this day.

My blog didn’t just help me connect with readers—it also opened doors I never expected. Because of Cup of Tyh, I started getting invitations to speak at school events, immigrant symposiums for newcomers, and even online forums. The girl who once feared public speaking was suddenly standing in front of audiences, sharing her story, and inspiring others.

An interesting part of my blogging journey was in 2016 onward, during the early years of my blog, I was all about helping fellow immigrants in their settlement journey. I understood how overwhelming it was to move to a new country—figuring out jobs, housing, paperwork, and most importantly, finding a community where you belong. I didn’t even think that this passion led me to become the face of Welcome Pack in Manitoba. I partnered with them not just because they offered a gift box to newcomers featuring Canadian brands, but because I saw it as a meaningful way to send a message: You are not alone. There is a community here for you.

But as much as I loved writing, life got in the way. Juggling work, raising three kids, and managing household responsibilities left me with little time for my blog. My two-to-three posts per month dwindled to one, and eventually, there were months when I didn’t write at all.

I even thought about shutting my site down. Blogging takes time, effort, and money to maintain. And with social media evolving so fast, I started wondering—who even reads blogs anymore? Who am I to think my words matter?

Then, one day, I received a message that changed my perspective. A woman I barely knew sent me a DM after I posted a motivational quote on Instagram. She told me how much she admired what I do, how she had been reading my blogs and found herself relating to many of my stories. She encouraged me to keep writing, to keep inspiring.

That single message reminded me why I started Cup of Tyh in the first place.

And as I mentioned in my march 1st article, if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you have to be your own biggest believer. You can’t expect friends, family, or even the people closest to you to always support you.

I’ve had my own struggles with this. Even my own husband—the person I share my life with—never really understood what I was doing. He never read my blogs, never asked about my work, and never showed interest. I remember one time, he excitedly told me that his officemate showed him a Facebook post that featured our family. When I looked at it, I told him, “I wrote that article. It’s from my blog. I am Momsiecle. Did you forget?”

For a time, that hurt me deeply. I questioned myself—if even the person closest to me doesn’t care about my work, does it even matter? But I later realized that I can’t base my worth on someone else’s recognition. My dreams are mine, and they are valid, with or without external validation.

So, to every woman reading this—believe in yourself. Your dreams, your voice, your passion—they matter. Even if no one claps for you, keep going. Even if the people closest to you don’t support you, keep pushing forward. Because somewhere out there, someone is watching, someone is listening, and someone is being inspired by what you do.

This is what Cup of Tyh is all about. It started with a simple dream to write, and it has become a space for sharing, connecting, and uplifting others. And as long as there are stories to tell and lessons to share, I will keep writing.