Nov 03 2009
Aloha Kay Jarvela
This is a different kind of post. On Saturday we lost a Beat of Hawaii fan, Kay Jarvela, to brain cancer which was diagnosed just over a month ago. It’s a personal loss to me because Kay and I were high school friends who reconnected this year on Facebook.
When Kay shared this picture with me in September I didn’t know that her life would be ending in a few short weeks. Her father died in August and Kay decided to carry on his tradition of playing the accordion.
After surgery Kay wrote, “These things, like it or not, do tend to come up. I cannot help but think that all this rearrangement of my brain will turn me into a creative artistic genius.”
Kay and her husband, Peter, had been planning a trip to Maui in December and our hope was to see them.
Everything changed quickly. Her death is a reminder to me to live each day fully. We’ll be carrying her memory with us this week when we hike down to Kalaupapa where Saint Damien lived and worked.
Peace be with you Kay and your family. Aloha
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I’m so sorry for the loss of your friend. May God comfort you as you remember her. I lost my mom to breast cancer that had gone to her brain. She went so quickly once the breast cancer was found in her brain. My mom was the one who inspired me to go see the beauty of Hawaii. My mom and dad both traveled through the Hawaiian Islands about 10 yrs. ago. When they came back they had the most beautiful travel photos I had ever seen! Finally, I am here in Hawaii right now on my honeymoon! My husband and I are having a trip of lifetime! I think of my mom and dad, who has also passed away now, and I think how happy they would be for me to be here, seeing all the beauty here that they saw.
Thanks, Rob, for that lovely piece. I have finally stopped crying, for Kay was a huge part of my growing-up years. I’m so glad we were able to see each other again in August, and so sorry that we’d spent so long apart. Her death was indeed a wake-up call to all of us who knew her to live each day as if it’s your last.