{"id":196,"date":"2023-05-01T15:21:27","date_gmt":"2023-05-01T15:21:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/?p=196"},"modified":"2023-05-04T20:17:57","modified_gmt":"2023-05-04T20:17:57","slug":"finding-happiness-in-a-broken-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/finding-happiness-in-a-broken-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Building Back a Broken Home"},"content":{"rendered":"

I never once thought my home was broken in any sense of the word. As a young child, I assumed my parents\u2019 shouting matches were a result of hearing problems that stemmed from old age. My brother is 11 years older than me, and I always wished he would step in and act like the mature, older sibling I imagined he was. It turned out that a lot of the shouting was actually about him. But, as a kid, I didn\u2019t yet understand that he was the root of many of our family\u2019s issues. If my family were a house, it would look like this: broken sinks, falling roofs, blown-up walls: a structure crumbling. But back then, I didn\u2019t give a shit. Ignorance is bliss.<\/span><\/p>\n

When I turned 18, it became impossible to ignore my surroundings. So I ran, and I ran very far (9000 miles to be exact), from The Philippines to New York City. Somehow, though I was on another continent, I could still feel the tension, the trauma, and all the unresolved issues circling my family. Despite my new and exciting environment, I was weighed down by the emotional baggage I carried with me. It was a constant struggle to let go of the past and move forward with my life, but I knew that it was something I needed to do if I wanted to find happiness.<\/span><\/p>\n

Coming home for Christmas was always a rollercoaster of emotions. I never knew what was going to unfold; perhaps another screaming match? A drunken rage rant? Threats of annulment? Who knows, but I was always prepared to desensitize myself. On the eve of Christmas back in 2019, I caught a fever from going straight to the club as soon as I got off my 17-hour flight from JFK airport to Manila (I thought it would fix my jet lag). Everyone was wary about COVID then (Yes, we were already concerned about a looming virus breakout during that time), so we decided to stay in. I remember laying on the couch, weak as a stray kitten, while my family bustled around me, preparing a makeshift <\/span>noche buena <\/span><\/i>feast after canceling our dinner reservations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After our meal, my brother started playing music to liven up the house. They were all dressed to the nines, and I was in my college hoodie and sweatpants shivering like a wet dog. Spirits were high after exchanging gifts, and my brother queued up Bella Ciao after getting a <\/span>very<\/span><\/i> nice present from my mom. As he started dancing, he pulled my mom up from her seat and began twirling her around. My dad brought out his phone to take a video of the moment, but they instead invited him to join in on the fun. \u201cWish you could dance with us, Maia,\u201d they said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Laying on the couch watching my family dance together was probably the happiest memory I have with them. No arguing, no crying, just dancing, drinking, and enjoying each other\u2019s company. That moment remains crystal clear in my memory; their matching maroon ensembles, our three French bulldogs jumping along with them, and the joy and laughter that filled the air. It was a strange feeling, being so physically ill but emotionally relieved to see my home begin the renovation process: we were healing, with a clean slate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Looking back on that moment now, I realize that happiness doesn’t have to be something grand or extravagant. It can be found in the simple things, like preparing a meal together or dancing to an Italian protest anthem. At that moment, I felt a sense of hope and optimism for the future of our family. Despite the fact that our bad moments together outweighed the good, the memory of them dancing together remains a beacon of light in the midst of a difficult and tumultuous time in my life. It taught me that even when things seem hopeless, there is always a possibility for change and growth.<\/span><\/p>\n

I also realized that healing takes time, as well as effort and commitment. My family and I still have a long way to go, but that night was a small step towards a better future. It was a moment of unity and happiness that I will always hold dear to my heart. It’s a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always a glimmer of hope, and that hope can lead to healing.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I never once thought my home was broken in any sense of the word. As a young child, I assumed my parents\u2019 shouting matches were a result of hearing problems that stemmed from old age…. Read more Building Back a Broken Home<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":338,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-connection"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBuilding Back a Broken Home - Dopamine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Building Back a Broken Home - Dopamine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I never once thought my home was broken in any sense of the word. As a young child, I assumed my parents\u2019 shouting matches were a result of hearing problems that stemmed from old age.... Read more Building Back a Broken Home\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/finding-happiness-in-a-broken-home\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Dopamine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-05-01T15:21:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-05-04T20:17:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/samuel-couto-JGmAkJDPmBM-unsplash-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1708\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Maia Torres\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Maia Torres\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/finding-happiness-in-a-broken-home\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/finding-happiness-in-a-broken-home\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Maia Torres\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/#\/schema\/person\/f2c58ad8ce8485133fe29283fa97d6cc\"},\"headline\":\"Building Back a Broken Home\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-05-01T15:21:27+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-05-04T20:17:57+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/finding-happiness-in-a-broken-home\/\"},\"wordCount\":743,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/finding-happiness-in-a-broken-home\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/samuel-couto-JGmAkJDPmBM-unsplash-scaled.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Connection\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/finding-happiness-in-a-broken-home\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/finding-happiness-in-a-broken-home\/\",\"name\":\"Building Back a Broken Home - Dopamine\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/finding-happiness-in-a-broken-home\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/finding-happiness-in-a-broken-home\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/samuel-couto-JGmAkJDPmBM-unsplash-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-05-01T15:21:27+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-05-04T20:17:57+00:00\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/finding-happiness-in-a-broken-home\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/finding-happiness-in-a-broken-home\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/samuel-couto-JGmAkJDPmBM-unsplash-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/samuel-couto-JGmAkJDPmBM-unsplash-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1708},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/\",\"name\":\"Dopamine\",\"description\":\"The Pursuit of Happiness\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Dopamine\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/cropped-unnamed-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/cropped-unnamed-1.png\",\"width\":1891,\"height\":592,\"caption\":\"Dopamine\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/#\/schema\/person\/f2c58ad8ce8485133fe29283fa97d6cc\",\"name\":\"Maia Torres\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4974bb8358180d10d89114afd832ae824b6c6d2f79332ae585633f6a071212a8?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4974bb8358180d10d89114afd832ae824b6c6d2f79332ae585633f6a071212a8?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Maia Torres\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/author\/mdt9702\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Building Back a Broken Home - Dopamine","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Building Back a Broken Home - Dopamine","og_description":"I never once thought my home was broken in any sense of the word. As a young child, I assumed my parents\u2019 shouting matches were a result of hearing problems that stemmed from old age.... Read more Building Back a Broken Home","og_url":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/finding-happiness-in-a-broken-home\/","og_site_name":"Dopamine","article_published_time":"2023-05-01T15:21:27+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-05-04T20:17:57+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1708,"url":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/samuel-couto-JGmAkJDPmBM-unsplash-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Maia Torres","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Maia Torres","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/finding-happiness-in-a-broken-home\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/finding-happiness-in-a-broken-home\/"},"author":{"name":"Maia Torres","@id":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/#\/schema\/person\/f2c58ad8ce8485133fe29283fa97d6cc"},"headline":"Building Back a Broken Home","datePublished":"2023-05-01T15:21:27+00:00","dateModified":"2023-05-04T20:17:57+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/finding-happiness-in-a-broken-home\/"},"wordCount":743,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/finding-happiness-in-a-broken-home\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/samuel-couto-JGmAkJDPmBM-unsplash-scaled.jpg","articleSection":["Connection"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/finding-happiness-in-a-broken-home\/","url":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/finding-happiness-in-a-broken-home\/","name":"Building Back a Broken Home - Dopamine","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/finding-happiness-in-a-broken-home\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/finding-happiness-in-a-broken-home\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/samuel-couto-JGmAkJDPmBM-unsplash-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2023-05-01T15:21:27+00:00","dateModified":"2023-05-04T20:17:57+00:00","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/finding-happiness-in-a-broken-home\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/finding-happiness-in-a-broken-home\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/samuel-couto-JGmAkJDPmBM-unsplash-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/samuel-couto-JGmAkJDPmBM-unsplash-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1708},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/#website","url":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/","name":"Dopamine","description":"The Pursuit of Happiness","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/#organization","name":"Dopamine","url":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/cropped-unnamed-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/cropped-unnamed-1.png","width":1891,"height":592,"caption":"Dopamine"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/#\/schema\/person\/f2c58ad8ce8485133fe29283fa97d6cc","name":"Maia Torres","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4974bb8358180d10d89114afd832ae824b6c6d2f79332ae585633f6a071212a8?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4974bb8358180d10d89114afd832ae824b6c6d2f79332ae585633f6a071212a8?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Maia Torres"},"url":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/author\/mdt9702\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=196"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":260,"href":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196\/revisions\/260"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/338"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/editorsvision.com\/dopamine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}