MULTIPLIED joy is what Kailua children experience every time we do our favorite community outreach, the visit to the senior residents of the Tsudanuma Rest Villa Homes.
Our second visit this year, involving Kailua’s 4 and 5-year old kindergartners, was on a bright, sunny day in September.
The residents were already at the villa hall when the children arrived. They were eagerly waiting in anticipation of the fun that the little children will bring with their songs and dances and the cute artwork that they will be doing together.
Tom Moriyama, a 4 year-old kindergartner led the generic prayer in Hawaiian and English. It is a beautiful chant with a solemn meaning. “E-ho-mai kaike; Mai luna maie; Ina mea huna no eau; Ona melee – E-ho-mai, e-ho-mai- e-homai – e” (Grant us the wisdom from above, the hidden secrets of the chant; grant us, give it to us, give it to us!).
After the “Hello Song”, the children sang “Kailua Is Your Home” with graceful hula moves. The seniors then joined the children in “rajio taiso”, a two-minute morning exercise. Three songs and dances were performed next – “Never Give Up”, a perseverance song, the humility tune “I Will Be More Humble” and “Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree”.
The children were then assigned art partners to do the chestnut artwork. It’s heart-warming to watch the grandmas, grandpas and the children happily chat as they worked on their project. When the chestnuts were done, we all sang “Okina Kurino Kino Shita de”. After the “Good Bye Song” the children hugged their art partners before leaving the hall. ALOHA IS LOVE
