Tag Archives: family weddings

The Hana Chronicles: Month 8, Day 3

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Posted by on in Assistance, children, Community, Education, Family, Historical, impediments, Inner Struggles, Personal Values, service, Social, Spiritual, Striving

August 24, 2026- Hana is now trying to stand, just momentarily, without holding onto the bar, whilst in the play pen. She managed for a split second, then reached and grabbed the bar, to steady herself. Most of her practice involves holding onto the bar, though more and more, she is using her right hand only to steady herself, whilst upright.

She has her mother largely to herself this week, and maybe next, as Yunhee transitions into a another position. So, I used the time to empty my storage unit and clean out a few boxes, once I had everything upstairs. Gradually, the mess that I once let sprawl out in my apartment will be sent to a new life somewhere else or will be recycled.

Hana talked almost constantly, much of the day. She called out to her mother: “Oma!” or to me: “Papa!”, Her father was called, also, almost as soon as he walked in the door, this evening: “Daddy!” She seems to be telling us how important her practicing is. We all agree.

HANA’S NOTE- I have a lot on my mind, so I have to share it.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE-2007 Even with Penny being wheelchair bound, we still made it across country to several of the family weddings. We went to our eldest niece’s wedding, in New Hampshire, last Fall. This summer, with a Graduate School “Virtual Field Trip” project woven into the itinerary, we attended our eldest nephew’s wedding, in the Atlanta area. The ceremonies were both lofely, though I admit that I was a bit worn down from caring for Penny.

We had flown to/from New Hampshire, last year. This time, we flew to Atlanta and rented a car to drive along the East Coast, after the wedding. Our stops, mainly for taking footage to be included in Penny’s project, were: Savannah; Hilton Head Island (where we were nearly flooded out of our motel room); Charleston (SC); Wilmington (NC); Fredericksburg and Mount Vernon (VA); Washington, DC (where we took in part of the National Mall, before being sheltered in the White House Visitor Center, with 100 other travelers, due to the heavy rain); King of Prussia (PA) and the Old City of Philadelphia; a pit stop, each way, at the Fellmans’, in Bedminster,(NJ); and the North Shore (MA), where we were treated to a 25th Anniversary seafood dinner, at Woodman’s, in Esssex, courtesy of my brother and sister-in-law (Glenn and Barbie).

All the way, Penny’s rickety wheelchair hung in there, with emergency repairs done by our brother-in-law, Buck, in New Jersey. We stopped in Greensboro, NC, on the way back to Atlanta, then drove through the rain to a motel near the Georgia capital, the next day. We were nearly hit by a student driver, but I managed to see her swerving and moved to the next lane. She was in tears, mouthing “I’m sorry”, as I passed her a mile or so further. I was no prize, at that age, so I just smiled and kept on. We arrived at the airport in plenty of time and headed back to Phoenix, rickety wheelchair and all.

Fall and winter were more WIS, International and substituting at both Glendale Union and Dysart, while Penny plugged away at her third Masters and volunteered with a campus environmental group. She also dabbled in the Melaleuca Company, a nutritional supplement firm, based in Idaho, and got me involved with Ameriplan USA, a multilevel marketing company. I stuck with that for a couple of years, then distanced myself-the majority of the people involved were rather difficult to be around. We volunteered a bit with Phoenix Childrens Hospital and Childhelp USA, an abuse and neglect prevention organization. Penny was able to get a motorized scooter, in mid-September, which made things a lot easier. I had the Saturn outfitted with a retractable platform,which secured the scooter.

Slowly, though, we were moving towards a time of reckoning.

I Felt Like The Waterboy

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Posted by on in Family, Historical, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

June 17, 2018, Philadelphia-

From Friday night until about 11 A.M., today, my biological family was giving my youngest niece and her new husband the respect and honour they completely deserve.  The wedding rehearsal dinner, and all that pertained to food, last night and this morning, were among the richest and most generous culinary festivals I have seen in many years, now.

I stuck to grilled fish, as my entree, for each meal, but the hors d’oeuvres for the two dinners were an astonishing parade, and no words could do justice to the intensity of the work done by the planners, the servers and the wedding party itself.  Then, there was last night’s musical troupe, who gave their all, with a constant stream of dance-able music.  Thus, for the first family wedding, in memory, I was relaxed and out on the floor, tripping the light fantastic, rather than tripping over my two left feet.  Like Adam Sandler’s water boy, in the movie of that name, I was hearing the voice of his buddy: “You can dooo eeet!”     So I danced, almost constantly, to tunes from the 1960’d through today, though I sat out the slow songs. Some things just don’t get done, for a  long time afterward.

This weekend was special in another way:  My son and his girlfriend came, clear from South Korea, for the wedding.  So, Father’s Day was also the most meaningful in years.  We went about  taking in the historical core of Philadelphia, in particular, the American Constitution Center, parts of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell Center.  The Korean War Memorial, near Penn’s Landing, was also of interest to Y.H., she being a Korean national.

Summer is in full swing here, sticky and hot, but the sky has been clear and calm, all three days.  After a light supper, I have to bid farewell to Philly, to my new “little family” and to the new Mr & Mrs.  I’ve watched that girl grow up and with her entry into the full bounds of marriage, I found tears coming even more readily than in betrothals past.  Long may this, and all my family’s unions, last and bring happiness.