About me Part III
We said goodbye to my Grandmother in August of 2002. The day we were to fly home to California, literally waiting to get into the car to go to the airport not really wanting to go back to reality…Grandpa drops a bomb on us. “You know kids” he says, “if you want to get out of there and give it a go moving here to Maui, you know I will do whatever I can to help you.” WHAT? move to Maui?? like NO WAY!!
So we fly home (and our minds were flying as well – with the possibility of relocating to Hawaii). At this point in our lives, Jim and I, our faith had become an integral part of who we are, and had dramatically changed us both for the better. So, we started praying and asking for direction – and we did not tell a soul what we were contemplating. We prayed, and waited. After about a month, we asked for prayer from Brunie, a wise woman from our church who had God on speed-dial (kidding, but she was very close to Him). We asked her to pray for us about a decision that we needed to make and that we wanted only what God wanted for us. She said she would pray and would let us know. About a week or so later, Brunie called me and said, “I’m sorry, but I am really not getting anything really clear, but there was this one thing…I see water, a lot of water, like an ocean or something.” This of course meant alot to Jim and I and while we weren’t ready to pack up the kids and fly out the next day, we began to check into moving costs, shipping the cars, insurance etc. Well, everything fell into place, one detail after another, and it all went so fast. Jim flew out on October 20, 2002 and the kids and I joined him 11 days later after everything was packed and shipped. Yes, we did a California to Maui move in less than 2 months. WOW! It was a whirlwind time for sure.
We stayed with Grandpa and my mom from October 2002 through May 2003. Those were the most trying and tense and difficult months our family has ever been through. All 4 of us were sharing an upstairs bedroom in my grandfather’s house in Pukalani. Mom was also living there. We were happy to be there, but Grandpa was mourning the passing of my grandmother and was not used to small children, so we had to keep them pretty controlled. Mom was ok, she took care of grandpa and I did what I could to help out around the house. Jim got hired on as an Air Conditioning tech with Sturdevant Air Conditioning and I got a part-time position as the church secretary at Kahului Baptist Church. I only wanted part-time as we were homeschooling the kids.
In May we moved out into a rental on Makawao Avenue. We were so happy to get out of grandpa’s house. We were so grateful, but we needed our own space. The kids each had their own rooms and there was a yard for them to play in. It was nice.
One afternoon I got a call from my mom. She said that she didn’t want me to worry, but the Dr. found something on her liver, some dark areas that he wanted to check into. She had been drinking a lot while we were living with her and Grandpa, not get drunk a lot, but several every night. I snapped..”I think you have been drinking too much and that is what the Dr. is seeing on your liver, the effects of your drinking” or something to that effect…very insensitive of me. It hurts to think about that call and her reaction to me after I mouthed off to the woman who raised me and showed me real unconditional love all my life. She was reaching out to me and I snapped at her instead of comforting her. She said she just thought I should know, and we hung up. That was October 2003, she died December 9, 2003 from breast cancer. You see, she had symptoms of breast cancer that she ignored, and the cancer moved to her liver. She had given up on life, and told me often that she was only existing. The only bright spot in her life were her grandchildren. Her last months were painful and agonizing. My only comfort is that I know 100% that she is in heaven with my dad…my mother’s last words to me a few days before her death were “I believe…I believe” as I prayed with her.
Wow, it really sounds like my life has been full of sadness and loss, but that is not the whole story. We all have loss, but losing my parents was a significant part of my life and I could not tell you about me without telling you about them.
In 2004, after 16 years of marriage, Jim and I purchased our own house. With the help of the inheritance I got from my mom and some help from Grandpa, we purchased a half-acre in Makawao with a 4 bdrm/2.5 bath. It has 2 HUGE Cook Island Pine trees on either side of the driveway, so Grandpa named the property “Twin Pines Estate” hahaha. He has since built a 2 bdrm cottage behind our house and my 87-year-old namesake (yes, I am named after him) is living on the same plot of land with us.
So I guess that is it. My life is full and I couldn’t be happier. I have a loving, loyal amazingly sexy husband that loves me warts and all. My children are happy, brilliant and so funny. I have a great job and I live in one of the most amazing parts of the world. What is next? Well, as Jim and I get ready to celebrate our 23rd wedding anniversary – we feel our life ”shifting” to one with grown up children and we find ourselves alone at home several nights a week as the kids go on about their lives. It is quite an adjustment, one that I hope will get easier with time. I guess time will tell…
Sarah, Jim, me and Jimmy June 2008
