Lyrics from Paul Simon’s The Rhythm of the Saints seem more than appropriate in describing Pat’s…Journey towards her best life.

To overcome an obstacle or an enemy
To glide away from the razor or a knife
To overcome an obstacle or an enemy
To dominate the impossible in your life
Reach in the darkness
A reach in the dark
Reach in the darkness
A reach in the dark

To dominate the impossible in your life…Reach in the darkness…A reach in the dark.

Overcoming multiple myeloma AND amyloidosis is a tall order for a petite, gentle, Hawaiian…with a huge heart. Someone who doesn’t go looking for trouble but will oblige an opponent if nudged too far.

I must admit…most islanders will remove their Aloha Spirit if the situation demands it.

Well, MM and AL have picked a battle with the wrong woman and the wrong family. We, Pat’s OHANA…family are in this with our beloved sister…for the long haul.

Not as an obligation, but as a gift, lovingly given…unconditionally…no strings attached. 

When Pat informed 9 of her siblings at a family meeting, Richard’s immediate response was offering that they all be tested to see if one or more might be compatible donors for the stem cell his sister might need for a transplant. As it turns out the risk of rejection is too high. Pat will have to act as her own donor, since her body would be more receptive to her own stem cells.

Since my husband, Pat’s eldest brother, and I live on the mainland we offered to stay with her during her stem cell transplant at The Mayo Clinic, should she need us.

And what is Pat doing on her own behalf? She is dominating the impossible in her life…reaching in the darkness…a reach in the dark. 

Pat is facing her formidable opponents with…a broad smile on her face! She is not allowing MM and AL to subjugate her sense of humor…her sense of fun.

Following is Pat’s List of…Favorite Things…Wishes…and other stuff:

Things I Love About Hawaii
     How the sun shines while it’s raining.

Sweater weather…70 degrees outside.

No matter where in the world you are, one of the first things you ask someone from Hawaii is “What school you went?” Then you figure out how you’re related to each other…’cause you are.

Makapu’u hike and the lighthouse on the cliff.

Everything about the ocean…the smell, the sight, the sound, the feel and its power.

Having to make room in the fridge for fresh-caught mahi or paka.

Hawaiian music. Most songs are about the natural beauty of the islands…family…food…or surfing. What’s not to like?

The trade winds that blow through our house when the doors are wide open.

As you get older, you are not addressed as ma’am or sir. It’s “aunty” and “uncle.” I was pissed the first time a guy in a surf shop came up to me and said “Aunty, you need help?” But it’s all good. I like it when my sons’ friends or a dude in a surf shop calls me aunty. It shows they’ve been raised right.

Packing up dinner at the last minute and eating it at the beach. It shall be a regular thing whenever you guys…hugmamma and family…are home in Hawaii. 

What I’d Be If I Weren’t Me
A seeing-eye dog or other service animal.

My Super Power, If I Had One
Clarity

My Last Meal Choice
Vinha d’alhos…Grandma V’s sweetbread…fried eggs and rice.
I had to look up how to spell vinha d’alhos…not in the dictionary but in a local MAUI cookbook. Visiting with Mike on Maui a few years ago, he said he never understood what being Portuguese really meant until he moved to Maui.

What Makes Me Special
Being the youngest of 12 in our clan. No one else can ever make that claim!

Hidden Talent
Still looking for it.

What I Want For My Kids
To be healthy, happy, and successful…by their own definition. My definition: they’re out of the house and on their own.

Parental Advice If Any One Should Ever Ask
The best thing you can do for your kids is to let them fend for themselves.
DITTO FOR THE SPOUSE.

 

…a knock out!…in favor of…pat!!!

………hugmamma.