(The following text is from memory, not word for word)
Me: How are doing?
Her: Okay, how are you?
Me: Just trying to tell a wannabe cold to take a hike.
Her: Get some rest, take a shower and eat chocolate. :)
Me: Thank you, Dr. Ohana
I later called Dr. Ohana's mom and told her that she had been a grandma since the age of five. Jewel laughed; she knows her daughter well.
Crystal was recuperating from surgery when I decided to text her. After the text I realized I had been mothered by a newlywed. Do brides become moms once they say "I do"? But on further thought I decided that Crystal had been practicing motherhood since toddlerhood. Once while playing with her baby doll, she asked her mom to babysit while she went shopping. She would usually tenderly and gently hold her baby dolls as if it was a living breathing baby. As Crystal matured, she was always thinking of others. She would bring vacation souvenirs home for family and close friends; no was left behind. When Crystal leaves heart attacks on my door, she includes a few for Jay. Crystal understood the meaning of Ohana before Disney (or was it Warner Brothers) released "Lilo and Snitch".
Crystal isn't the only Dr. Ohana I've known. I've spent Christmas and Easter's at Jewel, her mom's home. I've been included in extended family events, like Thanksgiving. And my brothers have been invited to farewells and homecomings. Even wedding receptions. A year before Crystal was born, Jay and I had been evacuated from our apartment complex. We stayed with Jewel and her family until we found another place to live. Crystal learned of Ohana through her mother's example.
There is a Dr. Ohana at work, who looks after others in the office. Barb came to Tuition after working at the bookstore. She still includes Alex, a book store employee, in her circle. Barb has a listening ear even for those which she may disagree with. She has taken a single mom under her wing, adopting her children as her own grandchildren. Barb even provides lunch for my boss, her brother of another mother. Both are from New York and behave like typical siblings. Barb listened to me when I talked of my troubles dealing with a dependent adult sibling and dealing with my mom's estate. She still listens as I struggle to fit in at the workplace. Barb takes the Ohana thing seriously, she is supportive of those she knows, even through her own trials.
And then there is my sister, a math major turned substitute teacher. Laura took care of my mom in her final days. She was willing to call the necessary people for me when I was chosen as Mom's personal representative. And now that Jay is our oldest brother's guardian, she calls the necessary people in Utah so that our brother can get the care he needs. She's a Dr. Ohana to more than her husband and children and doesn't let distance get in the way.
There are plenty of Dr. Ohana's on the world. They aren't always moms, but they are usually aware of the needs of others and doing something about it, even when traveling through their own tribulations. She moms who loves and cares and willing to make a difference without thought of recognition. Dr. Ohana moms with the heart.
