Dear Frances

DEAR FRANCES By Frances H. Kakugawa I returned from my speaking engagements on the East Coast and found these insightful letters and emails waiting for me. Dear Frances, Your poem, “Tick Tock,” in the October issue, hit a nerve. When my father was in the nursing home, I asked him if my aunt and uncle....

DEAR FRANCES By Frances H. Kakugawa Dear Readers, As this issue of The Hawai‘i Herald reaches you, I am in New Jersey to speak and lead a workshop at the Brookdale Foundation National Respite and RAPP (Relatives as Parents Program) conference. I knew I would be away, so I decided to devote this month’s column....

DEAR FRANCES By Frances H. Kakugawa Dear Readers, At our monthly poetry writing session, Lynda shared the following poem. She is her mother’s caregiver. As she read, we all began laughing. “Oh, you find this funny?!” Lynda asked.  Another caregiver in our group asked her if she was offended by our laughing. “Oh no, I....

DEAR FRANCES BY Frances Kakugawa Dear Readers, This column is devoted to Mary and to Linda and her two daughters. Their inspiring, yet worrisome stories address compassion, creativity and family. They also highlight the loopholes in our legal, financial and medical professions when a patient or client is seen only as a name on a....

DEAR FRANCES By Frances H. Kakugawa Omoiyari . . . Think of others first and good karma will return to you. — Frances H. Kakugawa These poems were shared at our recent poetry writing support group for caregivers. Our discussions follow each caregiver’s poetry. SADNESS I am sad because my sister-in-law is terminally ill I....

DEAR FRANCES By Frances H. Kakugawa Omoiyari . . . Think of others first and good karma will return to you. — Frances H. Kakugawa Dear Frances, I’m sure you will receive many responses to your last column. My mom also died when I had left the room briefly to make a phone call, and I....

DEAR FRANCES By Frances H. Kakugawa Dear Readers, The month of May took many of my friends to the other side of life. And yet, a stubborn ray of sunshine found its way through the dark clouds to remind us that even in death, there can also be poetry, laughter, renewal and celebration of the....

DEAR FRANCES By Frances H. Kakugawa Dear Frances, I heard you speak a few years ago in Kona. I’m now caring for my mother. I’m trying to write down some of our times together. Writing does help. Here is one that I recently wrote: As she wakes up every morning with a tear running down....

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....

DEAR FRANCES By Frances H. Kakugawa Omoiyari . . . Think of others first and good karma will return to you. — Frances H. Kakugawa With each new year comes another birthday that moves us closer to the setting sun. I recently read a novel that defies all of our concerns about aging and dying.....