And now for something completely different
by Teri Theuriet | July 21, 2021
This is a follow-up to If Trees Could Talk, where we introduced you to Judy Oyama and told you about her special connection to a tree at our Waiau Power Plant on Oahu.
In late June, one day after she turned 95-years-young, we asked Judy to visit her tree again so we could officially dedicate it in her honor.
Bob Isler, vice president of Power Supply, who readily agreed to be our master of ceremonies for the short, informal dedication, said he was touched by Judy’s story.
“It was really inspiring, and I think to a lot of our employees, it was inspiring,” he told Judy. “Thank you for sharing your memories with us.”
Joining her were Judy’s kids and their families, including some of her great-grandchildren. In all, four generations of Judy’s family — the adults had all gotten fully vaccinated so they could safely spend time with her — gathered under Judy’s tree.
Watching them dote on her as they held her hand, arm or elbow to make sure she was steady on her feet, and posed for picture after picture with her, really made me wish I’d known my grandmas. My mom’s mom died before I was born, and since my dad’s mom only spoke Japanese, I didn’t get much quality time with her before she died when I was in grade school. It’s clear that family time is important to Judy, and these memories will be cherished for generations to come.
“This is really special for us,” said Lynette Serrao, Judy’s daughter. “My mom doesn’t usually get the spotlight but it was wonderful to see her feel special. We will always have this special memory.”
Lynette also told me that her youngest daughter, an adjunct professor at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, showed our original video about Judy and her tree to her students as they were discussing aging. A few weeks ago, while visiting Oahu on vacation, one of the students from that class made a special trip to visit Judy’s tree. She even sent the family a picture of herself with the tree behind her.
“We’re really pleased that my mom will have a legacy,” Lynette said.
So what started as a kind gesture by our Security Supervisor Rei Mindo, who first let Judy visit her tree and told us about the connection, has grown into a story that has touched hearts across the Pacific. While the plaque may be just a small token, Judy, we hope you know that it was placed with great aloha and respect.
Speaking of aloha… on a separate but related note, I wanted to give a shout out to some of our linemen, who happened to be wrapping up their workday right when we were trying (and failing!) to put the plaque on the tree. Because I didn’t want to drill holes into the tree before talking to one of our arborists (I did NOT want to damage Judy’s tree!), I brought cable to secure the plaque temporarily. Sadly, I underestimated how WIDE the trunk was! I’d brought 20 feet of cable but was still more than a foot short. That is, until Ricky Gushiken (working foreman) and Chad Cabana (apprentice lineman) came to the rescue. They quickly brought extra cable and in minutes, had the plaque up and ready for Judy. A week later, after hearing the guidance from our arborists, Joel Duldulao got the hardware to permanently install the plaque. For these three, there was no hesitation, no asking what it was for, no questioning why we were doing this. Just: ‘You need help? We can help.’ It’s this kind of aloha spirit, this willingness to pitch in even though they didn’t have to, demonstrated by so many of our employees every day, that makes me so proud to work for this company. Mahalo Ricky, Chad and Joel!!
Teri Theuriet is a manager of corporate communications at Hawaiian Electric Company.
