Page 5 - Hawaii Island MidWeek - May 31, 2023

Four Women Who Define The Modern-day Mother
F
tion of her two daughters.
or Shin, her favorite part of being a mother is witnessing the evolu-
Shin
believes
she has a
responsi-
bility to do
what she
can in the
communi-
ty. For starters, Shin supports her alma mater, McKinley High School, by serving on the board of its nonprof- it foundation, and was also a Pālama Settlement board member. Additionally, Shin serves as the governance and nominating committee chair of Aloha United Way’s board of directors.
ing each breath count.” “Everything that we do, it
MAY 31, 2023 HAWAI‘I ISLAND MIDWEEK 5
FROM PAGE 4
er, to be recognized for a role that I don’t expect or deserve to be honored for, it is more than a blessing. To be among an elite group of stellar wom- en who balance their careers, helping to make a positive impact in the community and Dnurturing their families at the same time, is a privilege and beyond words.”
When she returned to the workforce, Dar sought out nonprofits that served the needs of women. Her first ma- jor involvement was with the state Commission on the Status of Women. She also served on the boards of the Girls Scouts of Hawaiʻi,
the YWCA of Oʻahu and the Women’s Fund of Hawaiʻi, to name a few.
says. “Motherhood made me experience what it is to love unconditionally.”
al manager of Hawaiian Tel- com, Shin is proud of the role the company plays in bridging the digital divide in Hawaiʻi’s most unserved communities.
Lung Association in Hawaiʻi. The motto of the Outstand- ing Mother Awards is “mak-
takes effort, it takes breath,” explains Haro. “We want each breath to be intentional, to be (of) the cleanest air, the best health.”
Proceeds from the Outstanding Mother Awards event go toward American Lung Association in Ha- wai‘i’s educational, advocacy and research efforts.
One of the ways the organization supports the lo- cal community is via asthma management classes for youth. The American Lung Association in Hawai‘i works with schools, parents and health care providers to train school staff members to help students with asthma.
The American Lung Association in Hawai‘i also takes its advocacy efforts seriously and recently helped pass Senate Bill 975, which would regulate vaping, or electronic smoking, and taxing those individuals at equal levels as other tobacco.
Executive director Pedro Haro is proud of all the Outstanding Mother Awards honorees and was excit- ed to celebrate them at the May 28 ceremony.
“We need to celebrate it,” Haro says of mothers in the workplace. “Women can be executives and be moms. It’s not one or the other.”
While tickets for the Outstanding Mothers Award ceremony were sold out, the community is invited to support the organization via donations. For more in- formation, visit at lung.org/oma-hawaii.
ar came to Hawaiʻi from the Philippines on an East-West Cen-
“The challenge now, as my children are now grown, is let- ting go and trusting their matu- rity, character and judgment,” Shin shares. “I find myself constantly impressed at how compassionate and capable they both are.”
Su Shin
ter scholarship with Universi- ty of Hawaiʻi, where she later earned a master’s degree. She has been a financial adviser for 30 years, and about half of those were spent in manage- ment roles.
Marivic Dar
Regarding community work, Dar admits that she only wants to engage in projects she genuinely believes in.
“Motherhood changes you even if you don’t want to. It’s a force,” she says. “I believe it is the greatest miracle. I became a better, more efficient manager who’s a pro at multi-tasking because I had lots of practice at home.”
“It’s made me more humble, selfless, empathetic, patient and thoughtful,” Shin says. “I couldn’t imagine life without my daughters and couldn’t imagine myself without ‘moth- er’ as one of my titles — the most important one.
To fellow mothers, Shin encourages women to ask for help when needed.
“When this happens, I be- come truly passionate and more energized,” Dar shares. “I was a stay-at-home mom when my kids were growing up because it made sense to us at that time. I know the phys- ical, mental, emotional and fi- nancial toll this caused me, and I can empathize with women and mothers who have less than me and also lack support.”
Dar admits she was pleas- antly surprised when discov- ering she had been selected for the Outstanding Mother Awards.
“My daughters are so different, and while raising them, I’ ve had to adjust my parenting and communica- tions styles to suit the situa- tion and the individual,” Shin continues. This is a skill I continue to practice as a lead- er, colleague, partner, and, of course, mother.”
“Find your village. Be OK with not being perfect,” Shin adds. “Last but not least, give yourself grace.”
Dar has four children and calls motherhood “the most humbling experience.”
Shin realizes how mother- hood has changed her life in various ways.
“It feels surreal, maybe because to be recognized for something you naturally and unquestionably do is the high- est honor for a mother,” she
As the president and gener-
The best advice Shin has ever received is to first take care of yourself in order to be in the best shape to care for your family, which echoes the messaging from American
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THE LITTLE MAN IN MY LIFE
Proud of You!
hawaiianrealty.com 800-667-5028 ext. 8122
Denise S. Nakanishi
RB-17031, ABR, CRS, GRI, SRS
“Major Mom is a Major Difference”
cell 936-5100 majormom@ilhawaii.net
There’s nothing that makes a grandmother’s heart go pitter-patter more than her grandchildren. As you probably know, I have more than my fair share. When I was 9, my mother gave birth to my rascal baby brother. She worked a lot so I became his surrogate Mother. My brother and I went everywhere
together. He even went on my dates (no wonder I didn’t have
many) and when it came time for cub scouts, I was the den mother. As I started my own
family, I really wanted a boy in the worst way. After all, I’d never raised a girl. God chose to send me girls of which I am most proud. They are amazing. Thanks to them, I now have 4 grandsons (3 from my
steps as much mine as any). Living a few miles away brings a special bond and so,
it’s Connor Kalimahana Kraus who has been the “apple of his Grandy’s eye” since the day he was born. In spite of all he’s been through, he’s always been a happy kid. I recall once as he was walking thru the house with a smile and his Mom asked him what he was doing to which he replied “I’m just busy being a happy kid”. Connor is very self- reliant, cooks for himself, does his laundry, takes care of the animals and is the resident grill master...I can’t say he makes his bed or is “Mr Clean” for sure. He loves to hunt and work on cars. In fact, his future plan is to do formal diesel training on the mainland. Of course, I hope he doesn’t forget to return to
Hawaii but I know there’s always that risk. I watched his senior project presentation and was more than impressed because he is a student at Na-wah-iokalani ‘o-pu‘u iki Lab Public Charter School. I didn’t understand a word (except Tree Works) but he was cool, calm and confident. See, I told you I’m a proud Tutu. On another note, Memorial Day is a few days away. For many, it’s the unofficial start to Summer but I hope we all take time to reflect on the sacrifices that spawned such
a somber celebration. I invite you all to join us at Veteran’s Cemetery #2 on the 29th at 9am. The view of the cemetery alone with all the flags will make you proud you are
an American and proud to live in Hilo. Enjoy your day! Love you Connor Kalimihana Kraus!
CONNER KALIMIHANA
KRAUS Class of 2023
25TH ANNIVERSARY
FIND MY COLUMN EVERY SUNDAY OF THE MONTH. Watch “HAWAII LIFE” on You Tube!
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