Aloha Keeps You Young
The City and County of Honolulu honors six young-at-heart seniors for their untiring dedication to community service. Cartoon character Maxine says it best: “Don’t let aging get you down. It’s too hard to get back up.” Senior moments can be the best time of one’s life, if you believe Honolulu’s Forever Young award winners. Each demonstrates the premise that life is richer when one is fully and actively engaged in it. Representing a total of 420 years of life experience and wisdom, we meet the six winners of this year’s Forever Young awards at the fountain of youth to learn their secrets
Del.icio.usuntarily teach classes. Aging is a state of mind. Bringing seniors together with our young people builds bridges of understanding and respect.”
Sister Alicia Lau: “I take it one day at a time. Life is precious. You have to live it to the fullest. My work is caring for people and making sure that they live their lives to the fullest. My respite is traveling to places that bring reality to what I’ve read or heard about. I go to remote Kalaupapa once a month - away from cell phones and the Internet. I’ll be going to Belgium and Rome with Kalaupapa patients for the canonization of Father Damien. Keeping well is important. With aging, you have to expect aches and pains, but as long as I can get up in the morning and get going, I’ll do that.”
Lawrence Okinaga: “I’ve worked since I was in the first grade. The law firm and my many passions keep me busy. I didn’t realize I wasn’t young anymore until I was contacted about this award! My wish for other seniors is that they be blessed, as I am, with a good family, good life and opportunities. Getting involved in work or community enriches people. Spend time on your passions - judicial reform is mine - and you won’t have time to think about retirement. But don’t neglect certain formalities, like filing for Medicare. I delayed it by three years because I was too busy.”
Oz Stender: Trustee Stender works tirelessly and is as sharp as ever. He can be reached at his office at 5:45 a.m. (a habit dating back several decades) and hosts many business breakfasts at the Pacific Club at 7 a.m. sharp. His days often continue late into the evening as he frequently travels interisland for OHA meetings and to the Mainland for board meetings. He spends weekends mowing his two-acre back yard, enjoys golf, attends his grandchildren’s school events, and spends time with his wife and high school sweetheart, Kuulei.
If those statements don’t instill a “Forever Young” spirit, consider crabby ol’ Maxine’s view: “My memory’s not as sharp as it used to be. Also my memory’s not as sharp as it used to be.”
For reservations and information about the Honolulu Forever Young Awards luncheon, call 768-7760.
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