Page 7 - Hawaii Island MidWeek - Feb 16, 2022

The Gift Of The Curse
“Give yourself a gift: The present moment.”
T— Marcus Aurelius
he 1996 CNN headline shattered my world: A recent study documents
I learned a new test was devel- opedsoIcouldfindoutifIhad the early Alzheimer’s gene. If not, my children wouldn’t have it either. I had to know because my budding romance with Vilsoni (Vili) Hereniko was in full bloom.
flies route
that 50% of family members of immigrants from Walter, Russia, have a rare gene causing early Alzheimer’s. There’s no test for the gene, and no cure for Alz- heimer’s. Anxiously, I counted relatives with early Alzheimer’s: cousins, an aunt, sister, mother and my grandfather, who came from Walter, Russia. Was I next?
Paulson Hereniko
Weeks later, I quit my job to explore what I should do before I lose my mind. Traveling alone through Asia, I rested, reflected and savored the wonder within each moment. What to do became clear: I want to live in Hawai‘i, to be with my children and grand- sons, and to explore the potential of a budding romance.
Twenty-five years later, every day continues to be a precious gift.
On our way to hear the results I told Vili, with tears running down my cheeks, “ I can’t continue our relationship if I am going to lose my mind.” Before entering the doctor’s office, Vili stopped me, took my hand and said: “Jean- nette, regardless of the result, I love you unconditionally and I want to marry you.”
80 Extras
Jeannette Paulson Hereniko is a film producer and licenses educational rights of films. She launched a storytelling podcast at wildwisdomthepodcast.com.
Chasing The Light is pro- duced by Lynne Johnson and Robin Stephens Rohr.
Tropical Smiles, Dental has an incredible team of individuals who all make it their goal to provide the best comprehensive dentist care in Kailua Kona, Hawaii. They love to work todgether with Dr. Melissa Nitta and Dr. Erik Strommer to give every patient the healthy and happy smile they need to feel confident about themselves.
Stephanie
Scheduling Coordinator
Entering his office, Dr. Ted Hsai did not waste an instant: “Jeannette, you do not have the defective gene.”
I froze in disbelief. Recover- ing, I said to Vili, “Strangely, this
Although born and raised in Minnesota, Stephanie has been coming out the Big Island yearly with her family since 1996. Traveling full time with her husband for his job as a Journeyman lineman
has brought her to live in many places, including Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Nevada, Oahu, Southern California and most recently, Northern California.After living for a year on Oahu, it had been her and her husband’s dream to move
full time to the Kona area. They moved here in November 2020 and are enjoying every moment. When not at work, Stephanie enjoys hiking, cooking, playing with her two dogs, going to the beach and traveling with her husband.
Get boosted, get tested and keep taking precautions.
HawaiiCovid19.com
A message from the Hawai‘i State Department of Health.
54 Name above “The Lady and
Her Music” on a 1981 Broadway poster
55 Kikkoman sauces
57 One of two field borders
59 Where it’s at 61 “I will if you will”
63 Neither partner
64 *Camp sleeping
arrangement
68 Pops
70 Hardly a vet
72 “... __, short and
stout” w7it3hAJse-athne-ncreotwte-
FEBRUARY 16, 2022
HAWAI‘I ISLAND MIDWEEK 7
75 Chute opener? 77 FedEx rounds,
briefly
78 Hollywood
curse gave me a gift. By living
brothers’ name
each day as though it were my
last, I experienced each day full
of wonder and possibilities. I want to continue to embrace ev- ery moment, and I want to do it with you.”
2/13/22
xwordeditor@aol.com
Here’s how we
©2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
ANSWER TO TODAY’S PUZZLE
fight omicron.
2/13/22