Poetry

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 Frances, Funny (but not ha-ha funny) that you would bring this (February’s column on “To Help Us Make It Through”) up now about our loved ones who are no longer here. Just yesterday, the once-a-week mow-and-blow guy asked, “How’s your mother?” I must have looked stricken because he immediately....

DEAR FRANCES By Frances H. Kakugawa Omoiyari . . . Think of others first and good karma will return to you. — Frances H. Kakugawa Dear Frances, I was watching an Alzheimer’s program and it made me want to thank you for saving me from being who I was starting to become. It allowed me to....

Frances H. Kakugawa Hawai‘i Herald Columnist Omoiyari . . . Think of others first and good karma will return to you. — Frances H. Kakugawa An Open Letter to the Press and Dr. Oz Special attention is suddenly being paid to Alzheimer’s disease on television and in the news media because a famous person’s mother....

DEAR FRANCES By Frances H. Kakugawa APRIL The poets, in droves Lick their pens, salivating Over metaphors, turning Death into life. It must be National Poetry Month. — Frances Kakugawa 26 LETTERS 26 letters of the alphabet — Infinite combinations of words, sentences, paragraphs. Yet feelings, emotions defy such combinations. After one exposure My 3-year-old....

Frances H. Kakugawa Hawai‘i Herald Columnist Omoiyari . . . Think of others first and good karma will return to you. — Frances H. Kakugawa Dear Frances, I’m one of the elders who still open doors. When a young man opened the door for my wife recently, she told him, “Thank you for being a....

Frances Kakugawa Hawai‘i Herald Columnist I am writing this column before I leave for Hawai‘i to give several talks on caregiving and to introduce my new book on Kapoho. To be honest, I’m feeling a bit burnt out after spending much of my last 20 years doing talks on the road. As fate would have....

Frances Kakugawa Hawai‘i Herald Columnist Dear Readers, I’d like to introduce you to two male caregivers from my monthly support group in Sacramento. Bob first shared his “On Bathing Fran” two months ago. Then a month later, Ross responded to Bob’s poem with his “How to . . .” Their words speak volumes of who....

Frances H. Kakugawa Hawai‘i Herald Columnist Omoiyari . . . Think of others first and good karma will return to you. — Frances H. Kakugawa Dear Readers, I have some good news to share with you. You may have noticed that questions and interactions from readers have been on the decline in recent months. That....

DEAR FRANCES By Frances H. Kakugawa Dear Frances, So, what did you get from your mother this past Christmas? Lilly Hawai‘i Dear Readers . . . Lilly is referring to a story I shared with you some time ago in this column. Lilly . . . you will find the answer to your question at....