Page 2 - MidWeek Kauai - March 30, 2022

2 KAUA‘I MIDWEEK MARCH 30, 2022
co-workers who might tell you that I have even dialed down the stories so as not to look like a complete liar. Though, to be honest, I do a bit of embellishing, like when I say, “a billion pairs of my wife’s shoes” and other stuff like that.
conversation with a lawyer. “Let’s sing for her,” sug- gested one of her friends. They burst into Twinkle, Twin- kle, Little Star, Ring Around the Rosie and Jesus Loves Me. Peace enfolded me as I connected with these joyous little beings and their generous
When three third-graders did show up, they filled the room with laughter and lively play. Suddenly one sponta- neously broke out with, “You are like our mother here.” “Yes,” said another, “you love us, and we love you!” The third added, “I’ m sure your mom loves you.”
But because people ask, it leads me to believe that what I experience and write about are things that only happen to me. Like, am I the only guy that when my wife launders my socks, I only get one side back? Seriously, this happens every time. I have so many mismatched pairs and orphan socks that once I bought all black socks for dress shoes and all white for athletic shoes. The problem with that was after about three months of laundering, I’m only left with one black sock and
intuitive care.
As principal, it had always
I was taken aback once again at the instinctive know- ingness of a child’s intuition. Then the bell rang, we high- fived and they skipped off to
one white sock.
There must be some sort of dimensional matrix where all
been my practice to keep the office door open and to wel- come any child who wanted to come during recess — to
my missing socks end up on Mars. The folks at NASA are in for a huge surprise when the rover spots that. They will then determine that there is no intelligent life on Mars.
How about the fact that I can never find Scotch tape, a pair of scissors or a working pen in my house? Seriously, I see my wife and daughter using those items all the time. Could it possibly be that they don’t put things back where they belong? Not according to them. When I do finally track down the tape, the roll is usually empty. And of the billion (embellishment) pens we have in the house, the ink is dried up because they are left uncovered or unretracted. I have no idea where my wife and daughter put the scissors. They may be on Mars with my socks.
I only have a two-tier wire shelf to store my shoes and yet I find my daughter parking hers on there if there’s an open space. Plus, they have shoes stashed in every conceivable space — under the bed, in every closet, and every nook and cranny in the house. I’m afraid to open our relatively unused dishwasher.
Finally, why is it that my wife can never be accused of eating the last piece of anything? For example, if there is only one more slice of pizza or piece of cake, she will cut it, only leaving a sliver behind. I’ll come upon that sliver, which is so small I can flip it into my mouth like a dog treat.
Our daughter will ask, “Is there any pizza left?” That’s when my wife loudly exclaims, “Dad just ate the last piece!”
Ambassadors Of God’s Love
“Out of the mouths of babes and infants, you have established strength.”
M True Lies
“You look sad!” exclaimed one of the kindergarten- ers running toward me on my way to the cafeteria. Children are uncanny barometers for adult emotions, and she had spotted my unease and upset at remembering that morning’s
talk, to play, to read, perhaps to call home. On learning I had received a call about the passing of my mother, who had been ailing for years, the secretary asked if I still want- ed children to come that day. I nodded, determined not to let my sadness interfere.
class. I stood quietly, grateful- ly feeling my mother’s com- forting embrace.
After nearly a year of cop- ing with illness, I wondered if my hair would ever grow back. (Everyone knew I was wearing a wig.) Students, faculty and staff showered me with lei when I returned to work. I decided to visit all the classrooms that day. In a first-grade room, a boy watched closely, then mo- tioned for me to come to his desk. When I leaned over, his earnest whisper dissolved my concerns: “Don’t worry about your hair,” he shyly said. “It will grow back, just like my mom’s did.” The presence of children, with their boundless sensitivity to the human heart, I have learned, can soothe the
any readers who read this column often ask, “Is this a true story?” The answer is an unequivo- cal “yes.” You can ask my family, friends and
soul — if we but listen to what they have to say.
Recently retired after four decades as elementary princi- pal of Hawai‘i Baptist Acade- my, Dr. Rebecca Sanchez Ovitt is author of “My Journey of Healing from Cancer.” She continues to teach at the Bible Institute of Hawai‘i and leads a support group for divorced, widowed or separated indi- viduals.
Chasing The Light is pro- duced by Robin Stephens Rohr and Lynne Johnson.
— Psalm 8:2
with Dr. Rebecca Sanchez Ovitt
Fill in the blank cells using numbers 1 to 9. Each number can appear only once in each row, column, and 3x3 block. Use logic and process of elimination to solve the puzzle. The difficulty level ranges from Bronze (easiest) to Silver to Gold (hardest). Answers are on page 7.
RATING: BRONZE
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And am I imagining things, or do my wife and daughter own enough shoes that even if they each wear a different pair each day they won’t get through all of them until 2025? It doesn’t bother me that they have them, but it does bother me that we don’t have enough real estate to store them!
rnagasawa@midweek.com