In modern life where loneliness and isolation are rampant, chosen family offers vital support and healing. On the eve of Thanksgiving, I wish you warmth, peace, and moments of genuine connection with your loved ones. May your day be filled with love, gratitude, and joy❣️🙏🕊

Excited to announce my upcoming book event on December 13 at East West Bookshop in Edmonds. Join me for a conversation about The Pond Beyond the Forest—stories of overcoming adversity, resilience, and family connection. Mark your calendar and stay tuned for details! #BookEvent 📗

Looking forward to watching Rental Family with my husband and son when he returns from New York. This film explores loneliness, the importance of human connection, and chosen family—themes explored in my memoir, The Pond Beyond the Forest #RentalFamily #FamilyConnection 🤝♥️💫

Excited to share that I’ll be featured in a Q&A with Leslie Lindsay for Hippocampus Magazine, possibly this January! We dove deep into stories and the craft of memoir writing. Stay tuned—can't wait to share this with y'all❣️📖🎙#AuthorInterview #HippocampusMagazine #MemoirMagic

Latest on Sophie's Fashion Statement: she's rocking the post-spay recovery suit! 👚 For now, Gabapentin's keeping her nice and calm, but vet said she might not get calmer until age two. Gasp—one more year of rambunctiousness! 😨 But she sure looks girly in this haute couture. 😆

Amazed that my book is gaining readers through King County Library—3 copies on hand, 8 on order, and 35 readers in the hold queue. This is a testament to grassroots, word-of-mouth, organic momentum! Thank you all for the support and engagement❣️📚💛 #LibraryLove #GratefulAuthor

Looking back on monumental book events in Seattle & Corte Madera—I’ll never forget those meaningful conversations stemming from Q&As that became collaborative memories. Deeply grateful for the moments that keep the magic alive #ThirdPlaceBooks and #BookPassage❣️📗🌿💫

Yippie! 🥳 Today I harvested 467 mason bee cocoons—so many adorable tiny creatures ready to bring pollination wonder next spring! I'm pretty sure I could've hit 500 if I hadn't accidentally let a few dozen slip down the drain. 😢 Still, I'm absolutely enthralled❣️#BeeHappy 🐝😊

There comes a moment when a book finds its own path—from one reader’s heart to another’s, into conversations, into quiet moments of reflection. I love watching my book continue its journey, slowly, quietly, and with a life of its own. The magic has begun❣️📗💫🚀 #BookMagic 🌙🙏

Yippie! 🥳 Today I harvested 467 mason bee cocoons—so many adorable tiny creatures ready to bring pollination wonder next spring! I'm pretty sure I could've hit 500 if I hadn't accidentally let a few dozen slip down the drain. 😢 Still, I'm absolutely enthralled❣️#BeeHappy 🐝😊

My American sister, "Cynthia," is a gracious host! She and her husband invited me to dinner at their home in Corte Madera, where I met their beloved cats, Patrick and Fauci. The next morning, we hiked up Ring Mountain, where I was captivated by a breathtaking view from the top!

The visit to Book Passage and reunion with my host siblings—"Rick," "Cynthia," and "Eric"—was nothing short of magical! I'm immensely grateful we've stayed connected for 48 years. We had a celebratory lunch with 17 people at Flores post event and reminisced our shared memories.

Honored to be featured on the Life Shift podcast! Matt is a gracious, kind host who helped me relax enough to share my story. Please give it a listen—I hope it resonates and inspires you as much as Matt's thoughtful interview inspired me. Enjoy! 📗🎙http://bit.ly/49ADJDk

Wonderful Success at Book Passage! I felt truly blessed to welcome about 35 to 40 attendees who were deeply engaged. I sold 19 copies! Huge thanks to Dr. John Wallace for helping facilitate and enrich the event with such grace, kindness, and generosity. The staff was great too!🙏

After the whirlwind of recent book events and related activities, it's time to leaf you with a little Sophie update—fall has never looked so woofonderful and pawsome! I'm still on the fence about whether to send her to a two-week bootcamp. How could I possibly part with her? 🐶👋

As I prepare for my pilgrimage to Northern California, it feels like a homecoming—to the place where my second chance began. This trip is more than just a book event; it's a tribute to those who embraced me and helped me find the path back to my authentic self. #FullCircle 🔄🌱

This weekend, I'm heading to Book Passage in Corte Madera for my book event. I felt compelled to make a pilgrimage to where my second chance at life began. Excited to reunite with my host siblings. With both host parents gone, this reunion will be poignant and bittersweet. ♥️💫

I almost fell off my chair 🪑 when my author friend told me she's 38th in the queue for my book at the library! 📚 Huge thanks to The Seattle Times and KOMO ARC for helping spread the word. I feel so blessed to be supported by my beloved community! ♥️🙏 #CommunitySupport 🤝

Honored to be a guest on Let's Talk Memoir! She's a gracious host—wonderful, insightful, and sweet. I enjoyed our conversation on the mother-daughter relationship. Hope you'll tune in! 🎙🤝 ronitplank.com/2025/10/21/l... #LetsTalkMemoir #MemoirPodcast #MemoirAuthor #MemoirWriting

I almost fell off my chair 🪑 when my author friend told me she's 38th in the queue for my book at the library! 📚 Huge thanks for The Seattle Times and KOMO ARC for helping spread the word. I feel so blessed to be supported by my beloved community! ♥️🙏 #CommunitySupport 🤝

Book Signing at Northgate Barnes & Noble! 📚✍️14 of the 15 copies the store ordered were sold. It was such a wonderful experience, with friendly staff and great conversations with everyone who stopped by. I left the event feeling humbled and exhilarated by the connections!🤝

Northgate Barnes & Noble made this lovely ad for my book signing, so I had to share! This will be my first time manning the sales table, and honestly, I'm not quite sure what I'm supposed to be doing for four whole hours 🙄🤔😅. Please stop by, say hi, and chat with me! 📗✍️😊

Still riding high from last night’s launch! About 50 wonderful people showed up, and I sold 20 copies of my memoir. Huge thanks to Ronit for being an amazing moderator, and to the audience for their thoughtful questions and warm support. Thank you for an unforgettable evening! 🙏

The Seattle Times Interview: How honored I feel to have my interview featured in The Seattle Times Sunday paper! My husband rushed to the grocery first thing in the morning to grab three copies—one he says to frame for our wall. Immense gratitude for this incredible opportunity🙏

Kudos to Us SWP Authors! The Saturday panel at Woodinville Public Library was a wonderful success with 35+ attendees! Our discussion sparked great engagement, and we even sold some books! Shout out to my fellow sisters and to Dovi, our fantastic librarian, for the inspiring event

Join me and Ronit on Tuesday, October 14, at Ravenna Third Place Books for the launch of The Pond Beyond the Forest! There'll be reading, discussion, and time for Q&A. It’s a special evening to come together and celebrate vulnerability and the power of storytelling! 🎤 #Community

My first-ever TV appearance yesterday! 📺 I don't think I botched it, though at one point I forgot what question I was answering... 🙄🤔😅. #ARCSeattle #SeattleAuthor #Memoir #CommunityConnection #MentalHealthAwareness #ComplexTrauma #CPTSD

Overjoyed to share that I'll be featured in an upcoming Seattle Times author interview on October 12! The personable journalist and I discussed The Pond Beyond the Forest, the memoir's key themes, and healing from trauma. Stay tuned for the full conversation #SeattleTimes #Book

Join us for a lively She Writes Press author panel at Woodinville Public Library on October 11! Mark your calendars, invite friends, and help spread the word—we'd love to see you there! #CommunityEngagement #LibraryEvents #PanelDiscussion #AuthorEvent #Memoir #Storytelling 📚🎤

Thrilled to announce that my memoir is officially released today! Thank you so much for your support—available now wherever books are sold. 📚🎉🥳

Honored and grateful to have my memoir shared by my wonderful mentor and memoir teacher on her blog today! 🌟📗https://writingismydrink.com/2025/10/06/shigeko-ito-and-the-writing-of-the-pond-beyond-the-forest/

Excited but nervous that I'll be appearing on KOMO's ARC segment on my book's release day, October 7! 🎥 I'll talk about my memoir 🌳🪷🐟 that explores invisible trauma and healing through storytelling. Tune in and join this important conversation 📗 #BookLaunch #KOMO #ARCSeattle

Join us for a lively author panel discussion at Woodinville Public Library on October 11! Please mark your calendars, invite friends, and help spread the word—we'd love to see you there! #CommunityEngagement #LibraryEvents #PanelDiscussion #AuthorEvent #Memoir #Storytelling 📚🎤

Excited to have my memoir, The Pond Beyond the Forest, featured in the Stanford Alumni Magazine Fall issue. 🍁💫 Grateful for this platform to share a story that gives voice to invisible wounds and fosters understanding of the lasting legacy of childhood emotional neglect. 🙏♥️

So grateful to be featured by Darling Axe! Immense thanks to Michelle Barker, Senior Editor, whose fantastic editorial hand and generous spirit helped this book become so much more than I could have imagined! 🙏📚✨ Read the mention here:https://darlingaxe.com/blogs/news/congrats-to-shigeko-ito

Like this wildflower pushing through a crack in the concrete jungle, resilience can bloom in the hardest places. As Rumi reminds us, inner light always remains in us—even when the ground seems unyielding. In every small triumph, our souls cheer us on and celebrate our growth 🌱💫

Struggling with Imposter Syndrome? I do—all the time. It feels like it's in my DNA, with cousins like insecurity and low self-worth. Learning these are battle scars from surviving an adverse childhood helped me tame the inner critic and practice self-compassion instead. 🫶😇♥️

"The wound is the place where the Light enter you."—Rumi 📜✨ It is often through pain and sorrow that we gain profound insight and clarity about what truly matters in life. I am committed to giving voice to invisible trauma and shedding light on silent struggles. ❤️‍🩹🌟🌱🌼🪷

Even though her first heat is now over, I still diaper Sophie every evening before my husband comes home. She gets super excited—like he's just returned from a long deployment in Afghanistan—& her excitable urination is sure to follow. Fingers crossed she outgrows this soon! 🐶🤞

Dovi, the librarian in charge of our She Writes Press author event on October 11th at Woodinville Public Library, has done a fantastic job showcasing our books! So grateful for her time and energy in making this event possible. Thanks to Dovi! 🙏 Please attend if interested 🎤📚

Attended "It's About Time" at the Ballard Public Library and met Priscilla Long, an author I admire; I even own her book (though I haven't read it yet 😅). Events like these are wonderful. My world expands as I connect with more inspiring people—both in person or online! 📚💫

Visited East West Bookshop in Edmonds with my book and pitched to the owner, who graciously invited me to host a book event there, yay! 🥳 Never underestimate the power of being audacious and shamelessly promoting your work—you never know what opportunities it might bring! 📚🎤

@carlobrownpoems.bsky.social Thank you so much for reposting❣️😊🙏

@featsofstrength.bsky.social Thank you so much for reposting❣️🙏😊

I've just launched a Goodreads ebook giveaway where 100 lucky readers will each win a copy of my memoir! Don't miss your chance to enter and be part of the journey! 🍀📚✨ #GoodreadsGiveaway #BookGiveaway #Memoir 🤞👉 Enter here: bit.ly/4m7lVT0

Had an incredible chat with Matt Gilhooly on the Life Shift podcast! This episode will air in November. Loved our authentic, soul-nourishing conversation. Matt is the best! Can't wait for you to hear my transformational journey and pivotal moments #LifeShiftPodcast #SoulTribe💫

Following up on my previous post about invisible trauma and its link to hikikomori (extreme social withdrawal), I'm reposting my old article here for deeper insight and reference. Let's explore these complex trauma issues further #Hikikomori #CPTSD ❤️‍🩹

Fish Dream is the prologue to my memoir, inspired by a dream I had. It captures the essence and cyclical nature of my hero’s journey—the atmosphere woven through my story, reflecting an ongoing cycle of challenge, transformation, and freedom 🌊🐟🔄✨ www.shigekoito.com/blog/fis...

Had the opportunity to speak at Toastmasters, embracing the challenge of clear, confident communication. Here's the transcript of my speech on complex PTSD—exploring how invisible trauma is often misunderstood and silenced #CPTSD #SilenceTrauma🎙️🤝 www.shigekoito.com/blog/her...

Fish Dream is the prologue to my memoir, inspired by a dream I had. It captures the essence and cyclical nature of my hero’s journey—the atmosphere woven through my story, reflecting an ongoing cycle of challenge, transformation, and freedom 🌊🐟🔄✨ www.shigekoito.com/blog/fis...