Category Archives: Striving

The Hana Chronicles: Month 6, Day 11

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Posted by on in children, collaborating, Community, Family, impediments, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Striving

July 2, 2026- Hana and I figured a way for her to actually enjoy beef. I tenderized the meat, more than what the food processor was doing, by heating it in a saucepan, with a little water and what was left of the cabbage. This made a mid-afternoon snack, as she was too tired to finish her lunch, and took a two-hour nap.

She is constantly on the move, inside her play pen, thus she gets tired after about ninety minutes of crawling around and doing pushups, as a means of readying herself for sitting upright. I help her to sit back, and she can keep that posture for about two minutes, without support. After her snack and 3 p.m. feeding, she went for another such round of exercise, then fell asleep in my arms, around 5:15. As soon as her parents walked in the door, home from work, she woke up and was happy to see them.

Her favourite plush toys remain Rion the Lion and Pompompurin. The little golden retriever is in the crib with her. The lion rules the play pen. She likes to lie on it, when taking a breather. Her favourite story book, at the moment is “365 Stories and Rhymes”, which has a number of g-rated fairy tales and nursery rhymes. “Four and Twenty Blackbirds”, for example, has snipped the part about the blackbird snipping off the cook’s nose. I appreciate the clean-up. Kids will experience enough hardness, soon enough in their lives.

HANA’S NOTE- I speak up for myself. When I am tired, I let Papa know it. He is good about not pushing me past my limit.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE- 1954 I made a few friends in the Lynnhurst neighbourhood. One of them liked to sneak things. I told him I would share with him if he would only ask for something. We were only three, but I already knew better. I didn’t know, though, that I was supposed to ask before just walking up to my Grandma’s, which involved crossing a street. I did look both ways before crossing, but not telling Mom where I was going, got me a hair brush to my rear end, when my uncle had to come and get me from Grandma’s.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 6, Day 10

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

July 1, 2026- Hana can claim Canada as an ancestral home, along with Korea (her mother’s side); Ireland, Germany, France and the Penobscot Nation (on my side); Scotland, England, Lithuania and Romania (on Penny’s side). The Canadian ties are also on my side of the equation. My paternal grandfather’s forebears hailed from Montreal and Shediac, NB. Nana’s ancestors stopped for several years in Prince Edward Island, before heading “down the turnpike for New England, sweet New England.”-*

Canadians celebrate their National Day today. I’ve been in the country on July 1, once-years ago, in the border town of St. Stephen, NB. There, I saw a joyful parade go by, and I recall picking up a Canadian flag that had been dropped on the sidewalk, and propping it against a shop window. I’ve also been in the country on June 30, and having had to not stick around until the next day, because of the need to get to an American bank on July 1. There are all the other times that I’ve been north of the border, and had fabulous stays-in each of the ten provinces. I wish the Canadian people a grand Canada Day. It has, from my perspective, been a good year to be Canadian.

I will tell Hana lots of stories about my travels, as she gets older-and hopefully will be able to include her in a few that are yet to come. Right now, our jaunts are along neighbouring streets and Hoblitzelle Park; any place that can be accessed by a stroller. I want her to become very familiar with the neighbourhood, so that by the time she is of pre-school and kindergarten age, she will be able to find her way home, in a pinch. (The occasions when that would be necessary are likely to be few and far between, but it can’t hurt to have that knowledge.

HANA’S NOTE: I mostly fall asleep in the stroller, these days. Papa takes me out in the morning, before it gets too hot, but I still get lulled by the motion of the stroller.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE: 1952- Cheryl came to be with us. We moved to Central Street, Saugus. (1951, and ’53, are ciphers. I can’t think of anything that stood out in my life, those years.)

The Hana Chronicles: Month 6, Day 9

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Posted by on in children, collaborating, Entertainment, Family, Historical, Personal Values, Social, Striving

June 30, 2026- “Lion goes ‘RAH’ !” So said my granddaughter, as I lay with my head resting on her large plush “Rion the Lion”, a Japanese cartoon character. She probably remembers that from her father and I each having read to her from a book about animals. We learn these things from her, in return, each time we are in the play pen.

Looking at Hana’s eyebrows, it is noticeable that they resemble my mother’s brows. Mom left us two years ago, today. She would have gotten quite a kick out of her youngest great granddaughter, She would have called Hana “a pistol”. The little girl is quite outspoken, even “weighing in” on things to which we didn’t know she had been paying attention.

Hana has learned the sequence of eating three bites of food, then taking a sip or two from her bottle of milk. She had been fairly possessive of the bottle and wanted to drink it dry, without much of a break. This is changing, as she finds it a good aid to chewing meat or rice. Tonight’s mini-meal was peanut butter (unsalted and creamy). She took to it, using a spoon. It was not as messy as the yogurt, but she did need to be cleaned up afterward.

HANA’S NOTE- I get cranky towards the end of the day, when I expect Mommy and Daddy to come home. If you read this, Papa, know that it’s nothing against you. I need all three of you.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE- 1950: Coming out backwards (almost); Uncle Jim landing at Incheon. Upstairs in the Gooch Street apartment.

The Hana Chronicles, Month 6, Day 6

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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 5

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

June 26, 2026- Hana “enjoyed” a banana, this evening. She ate a few bites, then played with the rest. Her jumper, and the tray to her high chair, were covered in banana art. This was conveyed to me by her mother, who thought a banana would be a treat for her. It was-just not especially as a food, at least for now.

Earlier, I found that Hana was having trouble chewing the semi-pureed beef that was left for her lunch. Yunhee got off work early, and so fed her by alternating meat with milk. I wondered aloud if that worked. My granddaughter looked me full in the face and shouted : “HO!” I took that, and her expression, to mean “Of course, Papa. Don’t you know anything?” I guess I know now-as with so many people, Hana likes to alternate solid food with a sip of liquid.

Hana has a robust sense of humour. She even laughs if she breaks wind, which is thankfully not a frequent occurrence and never very loud. It amuses her, though. Her laugh is infectious.

Our six-month-old got a clean bill of health from her pediatrician, this afternoon, and she is well within normal range, in her vital signs. Team Hana is doing things right.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 6, Day 4

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

June 25, 2026- Hana sat up twice today, on her own. She called to me, both times, so that I knew she had reached her goal. Of course, she will build on this and be able to sit without support, for several minutes at a time, well before reaching 7 months.

In setting tasks for herself and practicing diligently, until she completes the task, Hana is a mirror of her grandmother. Penny always had a project or mission to accomplish. In many ways, Yunhee,, always doing some work on behalf of her daughter, is likewise setting the example. Hana notices what is being done on her behalf and part of her already wants to emulate purposeful activity. In her large playpen, my granddaughter is always on the move.

In my own sphere, any thoughts of slowing down have been quickly disabused. In keeping watch over this dynamic little girl, I will be just as occupied as in the days of community service and travel. Then again, slowing down was never my intention when I came here. Whether there is one grandchild, two or three grandchildren, the joy of passing the baton will be long in playing out.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 6, Day 3

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

June 24, 2026- “I love” is the sweetest phrase, especially coming from a six-month old. I don’t expect my granddaughter to speak, but she does so and from her heart. Many times, Hana us repeating what she has heard us say, over and over. Sometimes, as with the comment, two days ago, about the beef, she speaks as her brain has told her, perhaps from having heard others speak, here and there. Her words of love, though, are definitely a reflection of how each of us feels about her. When she said it, this afternoon, it made my day.

I have a new role in my Faith community: Moderating consultation during our Sector’s (neighbourhood group’s) Spiritual Feasts. Tonight was my first time doing this, and I felt it crucial to ask for people to translate from English to Persian, at several points, as 98% of the group is Persian-speaking, and not all of these folks are fluent in English. It is Baha’i practice to provide believers with translation into their preferred language, and not to demand that they learn English for the convenience of native speakers of English. People should learn a language for their own progress or convenience, not for that of others.

Hana is being raised speaking English and Korean. I am also introducing numbers and a few key phrases in French and Spanish also. I have heard her speak English, here and there. She probably speaks a few Korean words to her mother. One needs to listen carefully, though, to the soft, high-pitched voice. As I said earlier, her words tend to come from the heart.

There is much to be learned from a little one, though, in discerning what matters most.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 6, Day 2

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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 6, Day 1

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Posted by on in children, distraction issues, Family, impediments, Personal Values, Social, Striving

June 22, 2026- “I don’t WANT it!” With two bites left of pureed beef, my granddaughter said she was not happy with the fare. She tried to take off her bib and wanted out of the high chair. I told her it was okay and we would go to the bottle feeding, which follows the solid food. I took the bib off, cleaned her face and took her out of the chair.

Hana is too much of a Clean Plate Club member to refuse food without cause; so when her parents got home, we discussed the matter and determined that heating up the beef at the same time I defrosted a cube of rice was a bad idea. They will be prepared separately, going forward. Hana is likely to be okay with the meal, tomorrow.

I encourage her to be discerning, but outspoken, when something seems wrong. A reasonable adult will hear the child out and either explain why something is so or make the effort to correct anything that is amiss. Sometimes, fatigue will set in, and she won’t know what she wants, so it’s nap time. She knows that Papa’s-and her parents’- response to her bad mood is to check the diaper first, then determine if she needs a feeding, then put her in the crib. She was more than happy to lie down for a rest, three times today-and still went to bed at 7:30 p.m.

She likes to share her ‘sphere inside a cube’ toy with me, so I shake the cube and bounce it off the playpen mat, with a moderate amount of gusto. She is delighted that I play this with her for ten or fifteen minutes. Then she goes on to something else, just periodically checking over her shoulder, to make sure I am still there. I leave my cloth slippers outside the playpen. As I was sitting in a recliner, with the slippers just outside the open playpen gate, Hana took a cloth that was sitting on the pen floor, and started to wipe my slippers. I don’t know where she got that from, but it is just another small thing that endears her to us.

My father passed away, forty years ago today. He would have been over the moon with this little girl.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 5, Day 31

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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.