Never Forget
I post this same thing every December 7th because it really sums it up for me. I lived in Hawaii for about 25 years and Pearl Harbor was something that was part of the fabric of my life. I lived in Hawaii long enough to have met many Pearl Harbor survivors. It was such an honor to shake their hands, listen to their stories, give them hugs, and marvel at how young they were when they joined up and went through all they did. As a concierge in Hawaii, how to see Pearl Harbor was the number one question I answered. My guests came back with such gratitude more often than not. What I loved were the sullen teenagers who didn't want to be with their parents at all. They came back to the hotel, at least for a few hours, changed kids. I will never forget my first helicopter [...]
He Chose Me
Aren't dogs the best? A memory popped this morning on my personal Facebook feed from 2017. This would have been only six weeks after we adopted Coconut and I forgot all about this incident. I was rushing upstairs in my bedroom slippers and tripped up the steps. In my defense, that was the first and last year I actually had slippers. They seemed the thing you'd get when the frozen tundra weather arrives. Nope. They are way too hot to wear. I also don't wear socks for the same reason. That night I landed at an odd angle and let out a yell because my knee hurt. Coconut, who was in another room, came rushing to my rescue. I sat on the step and he sat next to me making little sounds. Then he put his head on my knee and started licking. He would not leave until I stood [...]
A Kind Man
Today is World Kindness Day and today is Grandpa's second heavenly birthday in heaven. Today is a big day because if he had not moved to heaven, we'd be celebrating his birthday with 100 candles. Okay, that might cause a fire, but there would be a celebration for sure because 100 is a big birthday. When you divorce you often find yourself drifting away from the family that raised your spouse. The Hahn family were gracious and loving to me and welcomed me as one of their own. I thought they would hate me when things did not work out as planned. I figured that they would never want to see me again. But we are family by virtue of shared experiences, my two sons and three grandsons. And so I came to Christmas and Thanksgiving and other family events along with my new husband. I'm grateful that forgiveness is [...]
Better in the Sun
Last Sunday the weather was sunny and so Gary and Coconut and I took a short road trip to the northwest suburbs of Chicago to see my sister-in-law. I was once married to her brother. [...]
The Greatness of America
I posted a memory last week from 2016. This has been a brutal election season. This year I decided not to have discussions about politics. It was a horrible year for me on so many [...]
Being More Like Lucien
This is one of my favorite pictures of my grandson. The joy on that kid's face is such a delight. Just looking at this picture makes me happy. It makes me wonder what I can [...]