It’s hard to believe, but here we are, watching our granddaughter surf at Waikiki Beach and celebrating our 51^stwedding anniversary. The two events are related, and the first is the perfect way to celebrate the second. What greater accomplishment is there than to see the results of your marriage turn out such a fine young woman in the making. And it’s not just Esme, of course. We are equally blessed by having our kids, Jeff and Rebecca, and our other three grandkids, Reagan, Carter and Griffin result from our marriage. Not that we can claim that their accomplishments are the result of what we did. Each of the six are unique individuals and have and are navigating life on their own with only an occasional nudge and encouragement from us.

Our marriage is truly blessed by having them all in our lives.

The morning was devoted to surfing, first in a canoe and then surfboard instructions and practice. The day was warm with a steady, strong breeze. The instructors and equipment were excellent.

The canoe surfing was fun and something even old stick-in-the-mud grandparents could do. Six hearties paddle the outrigger canoe to the point where the waves are breaking and then accelerate to catch the wave just as a surf boarder would. Great fun especially for the front-most passenger, that would be me, who catches the brunt of the wave action in the face.

A few adults attempted surfing lessons but it was the kids who really got a lot out of the session. I captured a few photos to show what happened.

Lunch was buffet style at 12:30, which meant Judy, Esme and I could eat an run to squeeze in our trip to Pearl Harbor. Our Uber dropped us off a few minutes past 2 PM.

I’d signed us up for a guided audio tour that gave narration at various spots around the Pearl Harbor Memorial facility. But due to the sun exposure and activity level of the morning on the beach and due to the confusing setup of the tour (“Where’s 106 on the map? And what comes after 106.”) we didn’t get much out of it. There were several small museums dedicated to the events at Pearl Harbor that documented the events of December 7, 1941. And of course there is the Battleship Arizona memorial, reached by ship. We didn’t get reservations for the Arizona memorial but that was OK.

What really brought Pearl Harbor together for all three of us was the Virtual Reality theatre. Here you strap on goggles into which is projected three-dimensional images and an audio description. You can turn in your swivel chair to look in all directions. We first saw a VR session that showed the attack from the surface – what the U.S. forces experienced.

I was ready to purchase another show but the attendant who was going to take our money overheard Nana call Esme by name. “Esme? Is her name Esme? That’s my name!” She was so excited to find a fellow namesake that she gave us the remaining three shows for free. One gave the Japanese perspective from the cockpit of the attacking airplanes. Another gave a walking tour of the Arizona before it was hit. And the final one showed the Arizona underwater as it appears today.

All of us, especially Esme, got a much better feel for Pearl Harbor than the audio tour and museums could accomplish.

Dinner this evening was at a local hotel. Nana and I sat at a table with another grandmother plus Esme and four of her new-found friends. Esme came on this trip hoping and praying that she’d make some new friends. Mission accomplished!