DEAR FRANCES By Frances H. Kakugawa
Omoiyari . . . Think of others first and good karma will return to you. — Frances H. Kakugawa
Dear Readers,
At a recent poetry reading in Hilo, a college student asked, “When you return to Hawai‘i, what part of Hawai‘i makes it for you? What do you miss most?”
“Hawai‘i’s people,” I replied.
They were there throughout my events in Honolulu and Hilo. I’m going to spotlight a few of these remarkable people. There were many from my Kapoho School years and college classmates. And, there were children and grandchildren of kindergarteners I had taught. Today, I’m going to honor those women who, in their 90s, are still reading my “Dear Frances” columns and defying the aging process.
In earlier columns, I introduced you to Rowena, whose 92-year-old mother, Dorothy, read my “Kapoho” book and shared it with a 96-year-old housemate. Dorothy attended my lecture and told me that she reads this column. She even had a few questions for me. I’m only sorry that I didn’t have more time to talk story with her. Here we are in this photo — all three of us.