Category Archives: Assistance

The Hana Chronicles, Month 6, Day 6

0
Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Community, Family, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

June 27, 2026- Hana had two kinds of fruit today. At lunch, she sat with us and ate a few bites of apple. At dinner, she ate a bit more pear. She now sits in her high chair, for both meals, She tried sipping water through a straw, but needs a bit more diaphragmic power, yet. That doesn’t stop her from trying, so we will keep going on that front, day by day.

She made a visit to Whole Foods, with her parents, and was reportedly delightfully fascinated by all the sights and sounds-“well-behaved”, in her father’s words. What else could a six-month-old be, I wonder? Everything is new and exciting. Hana is taking it all in.

She also can “explain” things that she observes. When her Dad experienced a minor mishap, in the kitchen, this Noon, my granddaughter said “Daddy hurt” and tapped her hand, to show that was where he was hurt.

While the family was at Whole Foods, I went to the storage unit and retrieved five boxes and a few bags. I am making a definite dent in that unit and should have everything in the house or donated to Goodwill, by the middle of July.

My prayers go to Venezuela, where the situation remains horrible, following the two earthquakes near La Guaira, in the north of the country. So many families have members who are dead, or are buried under concrete. I am also watching three fires in northern Arizona, two between Flagstaff and Grand forward, Tuesday is the thirteenth anniversary of the Yarnell Hill Fire, which led to the deaths of 19 wildland firefighters. The threat is never far away.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 6, Day 2

0
Posted by on in Assistance, children, Family, Personal Values, Social, Striving

June 23, 2026- Hana encountered tow periods of loud noise today. One was outside, as a landscaping crew trimmed several of the trees in our yard, which had been overgrown for several years. She didn’t seem upset by the commotion, and I explained to her that it was like a person getting a haircut. Trees need grooming too. Some day that will make sense to her.

The second burst of noise, a plumber using a drill to change out some fixtures under the kitchen sink, frightened her and she needed to be held and rocked, in the master bedroom, away from the kitchen, for about fifteen minutes, before she was able to calm down. It helped that the workman had finished his drilling in the interim. It seems more a matter of high pitch bothering her ears.

She seems to definitely have especially keen hearing-and vision, so I am not surprised by what happened. We know now to get her outside, when power tools are being used in the house.

Every day, there is a new revelation. Lunch went better today, so there’s that. We also got to walk a bit in the park, this afternoon. The dry season starts in a day or two, so walks will need to be done in the morning, from then until late September.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 5, Day 31

3
Posted by on in Assistance, children, Family, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Striving

June 21, 2026- Hana started “observing” her Daddy’s first Father’s Day, by calling to him at 5 a.m. He slept through it, and Mommy came to get he rout of the crib. I saw all this on the baby monitor, then went back to sleep myself, Our girl is always in good hands. Hana did manage to sit up, without support, for the first time, thus fulfilling one of her father’s hopes for the day.

Aram and I were treated to grilled beef, onions, garlic cloves, and kimchi, settled on lettuce leaves, with brown rice as a bed. Yunhee worked hard at this grilling, under her daughter’s watchful eyes. A workman showed up, to make an initial assessment of some work he will do on the kitchen sink, tomorrow or Tuesday, Once that was finished, we set out for Carrollton, to visit a place called Old Ferry Donut. It is a Korean-owned branch of a chain that is popular in South Korea, so Yunhee wanted us to try it. The fare was nice, though by the time we arrived, they were out of almost every kind of donut. We managed to get three different kinds and shared them three ways. The donuts were cakier than most of the pastries I’ve had in Korean or Chinese-owned shops and more like those served in Mexican-owned establishments. Donuts are donuts, though, and I enjoyed all three varieties.

A family member once told me that I was given one job, and couldn’t even get that one right. This was one of those “out of left field” bits of nonsense that circumstances required me to not rebut. That hit and run aside, I got a t-shirt from my daughter-in-law today, that tells a more accurate story. I do have two roles, given by the Divine, and I am fulfilling both quite well. Being a father to my adult son, and grandfather to Hana, involves being here for both of them, listening and validating their feelings.

It’s been a nice Father’s Day.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 5, Day 29

2
Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Education, Family, Inspiration, Personal Values, service, Social, Spiritual, Striving

June 19.2026- Juneteenth, and the skies were raging! We awoke to heavy thunder and lightning, with about 3″ of rain falling, during the course of the morning. Aram went into work, driving carefully, on roads that were not yet waterlogged. The flash flood watch came a little later.but we were happily inside, until the rain stopped. There was no walk for Hana today, though. The stroller does not need to be pushed through mud, which usually runs onto sidewalks and gullies that form on the inside lanes of surface streets.

It goes without saying, that I will encourage Hana to resist any unlawful authority. I will tell her to respect and obey her parents, teachers and police. I will tell her that anyone who disrespects her person has not earned her respect. I will tell her that there is a system for reporting unprofessional behaviour by those who are vested with authority, and that her parents and I will be the first people to whom she should report such things.

This is the legacy of Juneteenth, that no one need consent to slavery under another human being-or group of humans. This is so, no matter the economic, political or social status of the would-be enslaver. Not all enslavement is plantation-based, as we see from the Epstein files and other accounts of human trafficking. No one deserves to be under another person’s thumb, no matter the initial enticement.

My granddaughter will know this, from the time she can walk.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 5, Day 28

0
Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Community, Family, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, service, Social, Spiritual, Striving

June 18, 2026- My granddaughter has a cue for me to wait just a bit, before giving her the next spoonful of food, at her lunch time feeding. With a twinkle in her eye, she sticks her thumb in her mouth. A few seconds later, she is ready for the next bite, and the thumb comes out. There is a method to many of the things that my Capricorn, Solstice-born delight of the heart does, in her feeding and in her playpen activities.

She carefully takes books and small plush toys out of a woven basket, and pushes them to one side, save the item she wants to manipulate and whose texture she wants to embrace. She will look at a book, also taking in its texture, shape and size, before pushing it to the edge of the pen. Then she will pick up a plush animal and hold it close, talking to the toy, in sweet tones.

She reminds me of Penny, her paternal grandmother, in her sweeter, gentler state of being. She also reminds me, of a friend who left this world last Saturday night. Annie was always present with a smile, encouraging words, and, if she knew and trusted someone, a hug. She and her husband, Dave, made their home available for gatherings of our Faith community, as often as their health and family needs allowed. There was always a comfortable meeting space, and afterwards, we all sat at the long dining table, enjoying fellowship and plentiful refreshments. Dave and Annie hosted Game Night, on occasion. My daughter-in-law, Yunhee, still remembers one such evening, when she was visiting me and went along. She was delighted by the warm reception she got, giving her a fine first impression of our Faith community.

That was what Annie and Dave knew best-making strangers into friends. Barbara Ann Lovell’s spirit will look upon her family, her community, those of us farther afield who enjoyed her friendship-and most of all, upon her husband. They were one another’s rock, as solidly-connected couples ever are.

May her voice echo in the activities of Prescott’s Baha’is and the city’s Peacebuilders, and Coalition for Compassion and Justice. Rest in Paradise, dear friend.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 5, Day 27

0
Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Education, Family, Personal Values, Social, Striving

June 17,2026- Wednesday is a longer day for Hana, as her parents carpool together. This means that her Daddy gets home later, since Mom is bound to wait until a certain time to clock out and works farther away than he does. He otherwise gets home about forty minutes before her.

I help Hana deal with this by spending more time with her, inside the playpen-just being there while she goes about her selected activities: Working to operate a set of levers that open little doors, where Sesame Street characters appear, doing her developmental exercises (grabbing her feet, while lying on her back; pushing herself up on all fours) and crawling about, with a towel draped over her back-almost like a shawl. She loves my reading her stories from the Marvel characters, Pete the Cat, Dr. Seuss and “Girl Power” stories, based on Disney characters, as well as English translations of simple children’s stories from Japan and China. Being so little, she probably would love anything I read her. Just the fact that Papa is here for her is everything.

The most amazing thing about Hana is her body clock. I will hear her on the monitor that I keep in my room-up and talking to her parents, at 5 a.m. That’s not exactly their idea of an alarm clock, but she is up and wants to have her diaper changed-or just be held. They make it work, just as parents have for thousands of years. She “reminds” me, when it’s time for a feeding-saying “Hey, okay” and extending her arm towards the kitchen. I am usually already on top of it, but having her feel responsible for her own well-being is a good thing. When she is tired, she has only to show frustration at something, and into Papa’s arms she goes- for a nap in the crib or with me in the rocking chair. Usually, she is out like a light in 10 seconds or less. This little girl works hard at her playtime.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 5, Day 24

0
Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Education, Family, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Striving, Travel

June 14,2026- Hana was shown a new puzzle today. It has wooden farm animals and a barn, which fit into spaces that also show a picture of each piece where it should go. She likes to take the pieces out of the puzzle. I will work with her, during the week, to associate one piece at a time with its proper spot, and try to get her to place it in that spot.

It was a nice quiet day for us, once her father got home early, after drill was concluded due to a power outage. That worked out nicely for Hana, who got that much more time to play with her Daddy. It would be too easy to figure that a pre-lingual child doesn’t miss a loved one, but we all know better-and besides, her parents miss her, too, during the week.

It rained hard, early this morning, but by 11, I was able to go and grab lunch for the three of us at Saved by the Bagel. Hana enjoyed beef and rice, with a side of pumpkin, all pureed, of course. We adults had cheeseburgers on bagels.

I read a memory that a friend had posted about my visit to his city, some years back. He has since married and moved to his wife’s town. When I next travel in that direction, I will be sure to pay them a visit. For the foreseeable future, though, I am happy where I am.

The Hungarian writer, Peter Dosa, has written of his emotional homes: Hungary,where he was born; Ireland, where he was raised and Barcelona, where he matured and where he still lives. I will offer a similar summation in tomorrow’s post.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 5, Day 23

0
Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Community, Entertainment, Family, impediments, Inspiration, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Striving

June 13, 2026– My most treasured little girl is asleep in her crib, as I sit her in my office space, watching her on the monitor. Her mother is out grocery shopping and her father is at Monthly Drill. I am in my element. Caring for this delightful child is almost a capstone.

While Hana and Yunhee hosted a friend from DHL and her 9-year-old daughter, I headed over to Plano’s Red Cross Donation Center and played host to about twenty blood donors. I also trained a 16-year-old high school Senior, who wants to study medicine. She will be a fine volunteer, probably mostly doing weekends, as I am. The need for such hosts, though, is pretty light during the summer months, as those senior citizens who are occupied with Substitute Teaching during the school year-as well as University students on break, tend to take the slots as soon as they open-fine by me, as it gives me weekends with family.

I watched a few more Dhar Mann videos, in between registrations. One, which was particularly interesting, was a bit dystopian. Eugenicists had taken over California, and had instituted a “culling” program, involving a standardized test. The son of the eugenicist Governor teamed with a student activist, and turned his father, and his school’s Headmaster, in to Federal authorities, just as they were about to initiate culling. Of course, this was another ‘feel good” story, with a last-minute happy ending, but it got me thinking. We always have a path to resist and overcome misfortune-and it is usually one that involves informed and diligent group action. That last-minute turn of events was preceded by a lot of research and documentation on the part of the students and one adult investigative reporter. So it may be with various challenges our society faces.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 5, Day 22

0
Posted by on in Assistance, children, Education, Family, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Striving

June 12, 2026- Hana may well be a foodie. Her eyes lit up, and she sat forward, for each bite of solid food that I presented to her at lunchtime. She is definitely already a member of the Clean Plate Club.

She then burns it all off, working incessantly at little push-ups, and crawls around the play pen. She also likes to have her feet up in the air, grabbing them with opposite hands. Then comes the power nap.

We took a walk through Hoblitzelle Park, this morning. It wasn’t all that hot, but the humidity hung in the air. Hana abides the morning walk, but when I suggested going out again this afternoon, she was very firmly not interested. I checked the temperature-and my granddaughter had it right.

Instead, I put on a Beatles tune, “Bungalow Bill”, one of their sillier songs and mimed it, which she giggled at. I danced around with her afterward, to “Give Peace A Chance”. She lost interest, though, after the twelfth repetition of the title verse.

I was asked, recently, whether I will be traveling any time soon. Some people think that, as soon as Hana can walk, my work here should be done. No, it’ll be “done’ when she is independent enough (age 7 or 8) that my presence does not need to be 24/7. My granddaughter comes from sensitive stock, and needs to know that she is deeply loved.

I miss many people across the country and the world. Those who are true friends know that my work on her behalf is worth every minute. They also know that they will always have a special place in my heart. Hopefully, I’ll see many again. For now, there is social media and there is e-mail.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 5, Day 21

0
Posted by on in Assistance, children, Community, Family, impediments, Personal Values, Social, Striving

June 11, 2026- While Hana napped, this morning, I called my second brother, on the occasion of his birthday, He has lived an extraordinary life, learning skills needed to navigate daily life, whilst legally, then virtually blind. He worked as head of Kayem Meats’ financial division, until his retirement a few years ago. He took part in Sail Blind, in the 2010s, and I had the honour of sitting in an observation boat, for one of their sails, off Newport, RI, in 2013. His sons are doing well in life, and his grandchildren are navigating life’s challenges to the best of their abilities. I have seen him as a role model, more than once, in my own checkered career.

Hana continues to show signs of which direction she may follow, in the years ahead. She is into neatness, wiping her mouth with a bib or cloth after every other bite. She is also working on self reliance-holding her own spoon and steadying her bottle with both hands-though I continue to “assist” in guiding both.. She likes to hold books and studies each page carefully, for several minutes. She does not want me to flip the pages too quickly.

While she was napping, this afternoon, she seemed to have had a nightmare, shrieking several times. I was able to calmly talk to her and held her to convey that everything was alright, and that it was just a bad dream. It took a while, maybe seven or eight minutes, before she finally stopped whimpering. It’s always hard to know what a pre-lingual person dreams about, but whatever it was must have been a doozy. I’m just glad to be here for her, in happy moments and in scary ones.