HispageTONOway

Double Hurricane/Tropical Storm targets State of Hawaii

The State of Hawaii is in a state of alert because of the bad weather caused by the two Hurricanes Iselle & Julio in the Pacific.  The closest storm Hurricane Iselle is about 300 miles away for the Big Island, the largest island in the Hawaiian chain.  It is the first Hurricane to hit the islands in 22 years.  The prediction is that the Big Island will get the brunt of the first weather system.  I will be praying for the entire state of Hawaii.

As it crosses the Big Island, it will be a Tropical Storm, so the strength as it reaches the main island of Oahu will not be as strong, but there should be a concern—and all eight major islands of the Hawaiian chain.

Meeting up with my sister in New Orleans in September ... Visiting Gulf Coast & the South

It looks like my Sunshine and I will be meeting up with my sister in September in New Orleans and visit the southern states of Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia and Tennessee, and maybe a drive-thru in Florida.  We are planning to visit New Orleans, Gulfport/Biloxi, MS; Mobile, AL; Nashville, Chattanooga, TN, and Atlanta, GA.  It would be memorable to visit New Orleans area again since December 2006.

 

As most of you know, I am not into watersports, so visiting the gulf coast for water, just isn't what I would like to see.  I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions on anything interesting to look at during the trip later this year. Please let me know.

One month has passed ... no parents

Today marks one full month since my Mom passed away.  It's the day the four of us, siblings, ended up without any living parents. 

The following is the eulogy I expressed on the day we buried my Mom:

I want to thank all of you for taking the time out of your busy day to come out and say goodbye to my Mother, Lillian Young Lum, as I have known her all my life until all these closing chapter of her life here on earth. It is surely not the end because our generation of my brother, my sisters and me lives on because of her.

During my adulthood, the moments I remembered about Mom, she may not have expressed many words, but I look at my brother, Wendall, and sister, Edwina and Janine.  And let me say--even though--I am bias, that they are awesome people.  It's all about the Legacy that you leave behind for the next generation.  Mom did her part.

Every mother makes a choice of giving life at conception or not. God's hands influence Mom and Dad's decision to raise each one of us. That was the most important decision they made for the four of us. I know that those of you here had a part of making us who we are today.  I know I am thankful for that, because it is my prayer and mission that I am, we are as the next generation going forward, making someone's life meaningful, joyous, or inspiring others to be more than who they are by themselves--on their own.  Just as Mom made a choice of life for us,  she sacrificed a lot, we have to do the same thing for the next generation.

Each one of us has developed a particular personality for most circumstances.

• Edwina will always be the caretaker of the family being the oldest.  We will always look toward her because Mom has made it so.
• Wendell will bring the mystery of Mom in that just like Mom you sometimes don't know what to think because he's quiet and you really have to probe him to know what he is thinking.
• Janine will be the one who finds to fun or the adventure in our family.  Ray and Janine took mom to a casino on one of her trips to CA. Ray asked mom how did she enjoy it and she said she "had a grand time". Mom laughed when Ray accused mom of winning too much money so we got kicked out of the casino
• As for me, I will express myself most times in the wrong time during the right occasion, or right time with the wrong occasion.  I can say that I will be the politician of the family.  Ask my wife sometimes I talk like one.  Don't keep her too long because we have a plane to catch tonight at 10pm.

A few quick observations I have made as Mom's contribution to what legacy she has left for me:

• Thinking that we drove Mom crazy with all the weird sense of humor we all have.  All along in her unique way she didn't say anything, but marveled in her at her way of disciplining the behaviors that she thought was not what she wanted us to do.
• Mom in her own way was there for Dad where ever they went. I know how hard it is putting up with a stubborn man who doesn't share his emotions, because every time I know it frustrates my wife to no end when I don't express my feelings to her.
• Hawaiian time.

Until the day comes when God comes and takes His people away, we will always have to consider what we leave behind as a legacy for the next generation.  Once again, spending time with my brother and sister, I have no doubt that they will do their part from what legacy Mom left us with the help of some of you influencing our lives.

A redo of childhood pictures

Yesterday, my brother and sisters planned on taking some pictures of the same site where we took the pictures when we were younger--and I really mean younger.

There are some pictures that I wasn't in it, so I just decided to appear in these pictures ... 

Mahalo to Caitlyn Suzuki for taken these pictures to last a lifetime!

Life in the midst of a passing ... Happy Birthday, Mom!

If my Mom would have lived today, she would be 84 years of age.  Happy Birthday, Mom!

Even in this time that I am thinking about the end of my Mom's life, as a memory as we celebrate her 84th birthday today, I consider the beginnings of a lot of other people's lives.  On Friday afternoon, I read about news about another team member back in my Memphis Cracker Barrel days that passed away. 

Right after finding out news of my Mom's death, I heard of a birth, and a couple of couples getting engaged. Just as there is a passing of one's life, there are beginnings of others, which always brings hope and renewal.

I know an important truth since reaching this point in my life.  It's not about what you have or done, but what legacy you leave behind. It is not centered on you, but what you have done for others. It's more about the intangible lessons of life.

I, now, know that this year, 2014, will be the year of discovering a place where I can accomplish all that I just said--and for whom.

My Mom's Memorial Service Web Site

For those of you interested, this is mortuary site for my Mom's memorial service.

With my Mom's passing a little over a month after my 50th birthday, I realized how life is now shortened for me.  I am not growing up in Hawaii in my 20s, sitting on the walls lining Ala Moana Beach Park, or on the many sitting areas around Ala Moana Center observing the shoppers walking by.  I am older. 

I have no doubt that I will be faced with more friends and family leaving this world as the years go by.  The one good thing that I learned in the last several weeks going through this mourning period is being able to communicate more often with my sisters in Hawaii and Northern California, and the really sense of family of the company that I work for right now, and the many friends who have expressed their words of sympathy and support.  Mahalo to all thinking about all that has happened in the last month while most of my family who are in a warm environment, as I am in mid-30 temperature on a clear, blue sky day!

Present working picture of ME!

I wanted to share an artwork of me that a team member drew an image of me at work when I arrived after three days back to work after being off.

 

By the way, NCO = Neat, Clean & Orderly.  It's been what I have been coaching them on during their working shifts.

They also presented me a sympathy card.

 

Making a vacation trip to my hometown, the island of Oahu, next month!

We are looking forward to our first vacation for the 2011 year!  It happens less than three weeks.  It's been a busy time since our last vacation back in September when my Sunshine and I visited the Magic Kingdom in Florida.  It's been busy times at work.  I've been working many six-day workweek for the months when I arrived back to work after the 2010 late vacation.

It will be a good change of pace enjoying time with my Sunshine.  I learned that it's always good to take a little vacation along the way.  The demands of work life have taken on a feverish pace of getting results.  It only works in the private sector, as I noticed.  Believe me, if we don't make the financial numbers that is required, I get immediate feedback.  I definitely need some rest and relaxation.

The last time we were in Hawaii it was in late June/early July 2008.  I posted pictures of our visit.

We will be in the islands for full days from August 4 to August 12, 2011.  I would like to get together with any one of you living in the island of Oahu, if you are receiving this, just contact me by Facebook, my blog, or by e-mail.  It will be good to catch up on what's been happening with you!

August 2011 2nd Hawaii trip with Sunshine confirmed after realizing fifteen years on the mainland

A thought crossed my mind recently.  I arrived from Hawaii to the mainland U.S.A. in January 1996.  (I honestly don’t know the exact date that I arrived.)  This realization happened just before confirming our plans to a trip to the Pacific again, the second in about three years.  On Thursday, Aurora and I finalized our vacation plans later in the year to head on back to Hawaii in the beginning of August for my niece’s graduation celebration, and to touch base with my hometown. 

Thoughts of when I left Hawaii would make my stay on the mainland fifteen years.  It has been an interesting journey for these years.  I learned that everywhere I have stayed a while in certain cities, I’ve been inspired by many people and enjoyed the sites and the context of the different cultural communities.  I am thankful for those experiences throughout my life.

Thursday is my only day off this week after a rollercoaster six-day workweek that ranged from a seventeen-hour day to an eight-hour one.  It’s been a six-day workweek since the beginning of the New Year, and it seems like there are at least a few more weeks, at the least, scheduled.  Believe me, I will definitely let you know when this work schedule ends!  As many of you know about me, I don’t mind working long hours; I just don’t like it when it’s mandatory when I have to do so.  Let me be the one to have the freedom to decide!

I was thinking the other day about how I wish that the circumstances would be like back in late November 2007.  I was starting a new marriage and a new beginning at a company.  Now, I am faced with a history of the ups and downs since then.  I am determined to prove that it is possible to change at work and at home that what others believe about me is not true, especially the aspects that do not meet their expectations of the roles in my life.  That is what I realized the other night when I prayed: “Let the change be within me to change the circumstances around me!” I realized that in any given circumstances when you are in a leadership position whether at work or at home everyone can second guess any decision that was made.  I must offer them another side of my well-considered skills, Hawaiian-inspired talents and goofy personality.

2010 Merry Christmas … away from the Hawaiian Islands … from the eastern time zone!

2010 Mele Kalikimaka from the eastern standard zone for the second year in a row!

White Christmas Picture uploaded Christmas morning 2010 at the 8'oclock hour

I hope that you all are enjoying the time with your friends and family because that is what this time of the year is all about.  I thought that I would share with you our tree, which my Sunshine decorated with our ornaments.  She did a mighty fine job!

 It’s late in the evening on Christmas Eve presently on the east coast.  I woke up early this morning at 3am and I am still going.  I worked hard for thirteen hours, and got a chance to spend time with Dad, Mom and my Sunshine’s brother at our place for a while.  I appreciate their patience for waiting for me to start dinner.  I am blessed to have a family accept me as well as they have.  Even if I don’t receive any material possessions this year, I am a blessed man.