Our Personal Gaman:: A Poetic Palette in the Circle of Life

By Stephanie Kawada

This anthology of poems depicts the story of our family—which has been dealt a certain deck of cards and is challenged to make choices—and it paints portraits of furry companions and people who have played important roles and who have made an impact in our lives. Weaving a poignant and inspiring story to describe our gaman, a Zen Buddhist term that expresses perseverance and discipline in the face of adversity, this conglomeration of poems aims to remind us to persevere and always move forward, despite arduous challenges, never allowing personal turmoil to occupy center stage.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Feb 21, 2023
• ISBN: 9781665732390

Stephanie Kawada

Having been told by a world-renowned authority that her only child diagnosed with a serious autoimmune disorder and organ involvement at the age of 12 will have an additional 5 years of life, the author describes how she and her husband decide to direct which path their daughter will follow. Using free-verse poetry, the author recounts her personal background as a young student, mother, and professional editor, and her family history as she weaves a poignant and inspiring story that aims to remind everyone to persevere and always move forward (the concept of which is captured in the word “gaman” in the book title). Despite a person’s challenges and afflictions, the author motivates her readers to never allow personal trials to command center stage and, most importantly, to choose to live and continue the journey in the circle of life.

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Copyright © 2023 Stephanie Kawada.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical,

including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written

permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of nonfiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make

no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some

cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

Archway Publishing

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Bloomington, IN 47403

www.archwaypublishing.com

844-669-3957

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed

since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do

not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Cover art production by Stephanie Kawada

Photo courtesy of Cooper Tanju and Christie Kawada

ISBN: 978-1-6657-3241-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-3240-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-3239-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022919800

Archway Publishing rev. date: 2/1/2023

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Dedicated to

my family,

Christie Larisa Keiko Kawada,

who is remarkable for her stamina, keen perception, and kindness

Cooper Kaan Tanju,

who is delightful for his effervescence, spontaneity, and boundless energy

Gökhan Tanju,

who is astounding for his generosity

In loving memory of my husband,

Kay Kawada,

whose artistic skills—incomparable and refined—

are now evident in his grandson

CONTENTS

Introduction

Getting to Know the Author: Early Life

Getting to Know the Author: Love and Happy Times

Getting to Know the Author: Middle to Late Life

Author’s Family

My Mom, Rosaline Takenaka Chang

In Memory of Mom

Filial Piety

Memories At Sunset

So Similar Yet So Disparate

Section 1:     The Child’s Development and Practice of Gaman

Childhood

A Child’s Burning Question

The Road Less Traveled: The Powerful Urge to Push Forward

Happiness and Rebirth

A Warrior-Like Individual

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

The Important Role of Motherhood

On This Special Day

Section 2:     The Little Boy

Curly Top: A Vision

Ode to the Rambunctious Boy

Curly Top: Snips

My Forever Hero: Cooper Kaan

A Child’s Exuberance and Stopping to Smell the Flowers

Granddaddy’s Legacy

Going to Grandmama’s House

Fascination With Birds

A Heavenly Match: The Little Boy and His Puppy, Popo

Section 3:     Portraits of Beloved Family Pets

Our First Pet: Jaimie

A Circle of Love: Diana

Our First Feline Friend: Pembroke

Copper

Farewell to Dixie

Ode to Our Funny-Lookin’ Cat Suffering from Kidney Disorder: Goofy, Spoofy Carlisle

A Magnificent Brood: Katie Melinda, Buffy-Lin, Keiko, and Jessie Lin Indy

The Faithful Trio: Lindsay, Buddy, and Buster Bailey

Dylan MCLane

Section 4:     Anthology of Poems—Non-Theme-Relevant

Dedicated to Mothers

Happy Mother’s Day

Thanksgiving, 2020

Saying Thank You Is Not Enough

Tribute to Cousin Angie on Turning 70

Haikus: Forget-Me-Not, Dear Kelley, On Your Departure to Foreign Lands

Dear Wendy

Ode to Bob

Haikus for Alissa: On Your Graduation and Beyond

Halloween—A Favorite Celebration

Koi and Copy

Job in Summer

Dreams and Life

A Special Friendship

Section 5:     Concluding Remarks

Time and The Final Act

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Having been an established editor for a lifetime, I have always dedicated myself to helping others improve their text to achieve a high-quality product well within budget—from critical care specialists in multidisciplinary fields, renowned professionals in medicine, psychology, and the