Monthly Archives: June 2026

The Hana Chronicles: Month 5, Day 16

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Posted by on in children, collaborating, Family, Inspiration, Social, Striving

June 6, 2026- At 6:06 a.m., I heard a little voice on the baby monitor: “I up!”

Hana was ready to start her day, and by 6:30, she had gotten her mother to take her out of the crib. That’s just how it is: Infants and seniors seem to get up at the same time every day. The rest of the crowd is trying to catch up on sleep. I remember, all too well, the lounging around until 10, on Saturdays and Sundays. Hana’s parents are more 7 o’clock risers.

I made my Saturday morning bagel shop and Farmer’s Market run, around 9 a.m. The bagels were fresh out of the oven, when I got there, but there was no Farmers Market, as the vendors stay home when it’s raining. I did, however, score a full tank of gas, at the low, low price of $3.33 per gallon. That’s down from $3.79, two weeks ago. Hey, Northeasterners, Midwesterners, Californians-come on down!

Today marks 44 years since Penny and I placed a ring on one another’s fingers. It is also the 82nd anniversary of D-Day. My father-in-law always told me that I got the better fate than the guys who stormed the beaches. I’ve been to Utah Beach, walked the sands and stood in the German machine gun nests. I definitely would say Pops was right.

Hana spent the day reveling in attention from her parents, and enjoyed pureed cabbage with oatmeal. That’s probably not something one would order in a restaurant, but my granddaughter is a chow hound, like me. The rest of us had bulgogi and rice. Hana will get pureed beef tomorrow and Monday.

I put away more photos and books, and located the last of my important documents. I will need one more shelving unit, and be set for emptying my storage bin.

Baby and family had a good day.

The Hana Chronicles, Month 5, Day 15

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Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Community, Education, Entertainment, Family, Inner Struggles, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

June 5, 2026- Granddaughter reveled, in eating pureed cabbage, this morning. She seems to revel in eating just about everything so far. (Zucchini being a question mark.) Hana is definitely a member of the Clean Plate Club, without being coaxed. If this persists through toddlerhood and the Fussy Eater years, so much the better.

Our day went well, with lots of independent play time in the pen, as well as Papa being in there, for the sake of reassurance and companionship. We explored a horseshoe-shaped side street, Chester Drive, which starts one block north and curves around to the east, behind our cul-de-sac. A young couple had just come back from Friday prayers, clad, head-to-toe in black. Otherwise, the street was quiet and empty. Hana didn’t mind the quietude.

As she napped, this afternoon, I read a piece about the Dutch director, Wim Wenders, who expressed regret for having depicted a certain actress in the nude, when she was only thirteen. He has removed the objectionable scenes from all versions of that film. The actress in question, now in her 60s, recently expressed how painful it has been, all these years, to have been so depicted in that film, and in two others a year, and three years, later. One hopes that the other two films may also be expunged of the tawdry scenes.

Many men, myself included for many years, gave scant thought to how it must have felt to girls and women baring all, in films, and even in glossy magazines. I knew better, by the time I was thirty, and Hana’s paternal grandmother had come into my life, along with the Baha’i teachings, which stress the dignity and worth of all human beings. Before that, there was always the double standard: A man’s (or boy’s) female relatives were held high above the world of sensuality. We respected our friends’ sisters and mothers also. There was a friend zone, which included a measure of respect, for the girls around us. Somehow, that did not extend to the world of “entertainment”.

More’s the pity. I started to take exception to the cavalier treatment of teenaged female actors, when very young girls were presented to audiences, in various states of deshabille. I did not watch any of those films, more out of shame over my past private thoughts and cavalier attitude. Then came Penny, our shared Faith and my career in education, which included the protection and guidance of girls and boys alike. There was no longer a double standard.

What this has to do with Hana is that, from Day One, her father and I are all the more committed to her well-being and development of her entire person. She is a sharp-eyed, intuitive person, making it all the more imperative for us to eschew any semblance of a double standard. Besides which, the old attitudes are just rotten for any man’s soul.

We are all so much more than eye candy.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 5, Day 14

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Posted by on in children, collaborating, Education, Family, Inner Struggles, Personal Values, service, Social, Striving

June 4, 2026- My granddaughter had a few comments on the singing birds and on encountering the same mother and baby we met yesterday. She was quite happy with our walk, even along the somewhat bumpy grass path that brought us closer to our house, on the way back. It was warmer today, and the sun was more direct, but Hana was shielded by both a sun visor and her stroller’s canopy. Her skin was warm when we got back, so I put infant-safe lotion on her arms, legs and neck. Sunscreen is not recommended for children under the age of two.

She likes the solid foods to which she’s been introduced so far-and that includes the broccoli that she’s had for the past three days. Tomorrow, it will be cabbage’s turn. Sitting in a high chair, for ten-minutes, has also proven easier than I had thought. She sits straight and keeps her posture-and I have a tray in place, for extra support. Sitting in the chair for more than ten minutes is probably not a good idea until she can sit up straight, without support from furniture. Still, the high chair makes feeding easier.

She misses her parents, along about the time that her body clock tells her that they should be home. That is her challenge, but she also knows that she is safe with her Papa. Their schedules will even out, starting next week, so this should be less of a problem. Her awareness is, nonetheless, very keen.

Overall, though, Hana is a bright, engaging and generally happy little girl.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 5, Day 13

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Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Family, Hiking and Nature, Personal Values, service, Social, Striving

June3,2026- My granddaughter, Han, was born on December 22, 2025. I have been keeping people I care about informed of her milestones and growth, for the past many months-and since those milestones are my central concerns, I am recasting the title of this series of posts to reflect that.

We took our first grandfather and granddaughter solo walk, this afternoon. I put her securely in her stroller, with canopy and bug net firmly in place. We then went to the grounds of the nearby, out-of-session middle school and to a section of Hoblitzelle Park that lies nearby. We saw prairie cone flowers and standing cypress flowers by the yardful. There were also introduced columbines, in a yard along the way. We encountered a mother and baby, in a similar stroller near the park bench where I stopped and enjoyed a can of mineral water. Hana was nonplussed. She was taking in the fresh air and scenery, but was not as sociable as she usually is.

Back at the house, after our walk, we watched through the window, as city workers poured concrete on a reinforcement of a section of our cul-de-sac. I decided to read her a selection from a book of “Girl Power” stories. When I went to put her in her bouncy chair, she resisted a bit, arching her back and saying “No”-but in a quiet voice. When I explained to her that this was “Girl Power” story time, she relaxed and let me secure her in her seat. The story was about Moana, the Disney character, as a teenager. She liked the tale-and the pictures.

What she enjoys most, though, about our days together, is my being with her-holding her and rocking her when it meets her need for comfort, getting on hands and knees in the play pen, reading different stories and knowing just when she needs a diaper change. When is getting tired and frustrated, Papa is there to get her to the crib or even rock her to sleep and let her sleep on my shoulder..

I can’t think of a finer way to spend a day.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 5, Day 12

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Posted by on in children, Family, Personal Values, Social

June 2,2026- It was another of those afternoons, in which thunder, lightning and torrential rain were the companions of those driving home from work, in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. What normally takes people 45 minutes, took 90.

My little granddaughter won’t be able to tell time, at least until she can recognize numbers on a screen. She does have an internal clock, though, and wakes up from her first nap in time to take a medicine, then wakes up from a second nap, in time for her second bottle feeding of the day. She also knows when it is normally time for her parents to come through the door, after work.

Tonight, that time came and went. I knew they were on their way, thanks to the “Find My” application on my phone. Hana is kept away from electronics, though, at least until age 2-and even so, phones may not be in her life until middle school, if then. Watching the heavy rain and hearing the thunder, she broke down in tears, calling for her mother. She feels safe enough with my presence, certainly, but there is already a deep bond between mother and daughter, When Yunhee, and Aram, for that matter, are gone longer than it feels to her like they should be, Hana is disconsolate. Her sighs of relief, when they come through the door, are priceless.

I once thought that infants were, essentially, egocentric and mainly showed emotion relative to their feeding and comfort needs being met. Having spent five months and two weeks with my granddaughter, I see an extra element at play. She has a remarkable concern for the three of us-maybe reflective of our love for her, or maybe something innate.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 5, Day 11

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Posted by on in children, collaborating, Education, Entertainment, Family, Inspiration, Literary criticism, Personal goals, Personal Values, Social, Striving

June 1, 2026- Looking at a Windows cover page that features a scene from the Chinese countryside, I spotted foliage and boulders, on a hillside. They looked to me like two people riding double on a bicycle. That could be the gist of a tall tale, or fable. For now, though, I note that clouds, boulders, rock outcroppings and even rocks covered in greenery can summon images of odd creatures-from dinosaurs to the Cheshire Cat. I like to tell my granddaughter such tales of wonder.

I am reading Hana tales from a collection of European children’s stories. These are old tales, and many revolve around the theme of either a young man or a young woman finding the person of their dreams (usually a royal or someone of means.). Others, though, concern the imparting of a lesson on curbing bad habits. like greed or jealousy. Animals play tricks on one another; peasants and servants humble mighty kings or conniving merchants and simple farm girls outwit wealthy princes. There is often a giant, ogre or some other demon, who also invariably gets a comeuppance.

I can get away with reading some of these, as there are few, if any illustrations and Hana is too young to get the message. I balance the more maudlin, “Happily Ever After” stories with those which have the main character putting in a mighty effort to get his/her due. Those are probably my favourites, as I want to continually teach Hana the value of working towards something of value. She knows, on some level at least, that I am taking care of her while her parents are at work. Eventually, she will have chores and be taught the importance of teamwork.