Meet the Keo's

Yesterday, our entire family made our way to Kalihi to attend the funeral services of my Dad's oldest sister, Josephine Leilani Atkins. Even though most of my dad's sibling live on the island, we don't get to see them or spend as much time with them as we'd like. It has pretty much been like that my whole life. It's not that he wants i to be like that, it's just the way it is. It seems like the only time we DO get to see them is at weddings and funerals. Besides the retirement party that we threw for Dad back in April, the last time I saw Aunty Leilani was at her husband's funeral about 3 or 4 years ago.

That made me realize that I really need to document more about my Dad and his family. Of his 10 siblings, I think there are only 4 left. Aunty Maumae, Aunty Helena, Uncle Bano and Uncle George. But he also has a half sister who lives in Waimanalo, Aunty Jenny. I love seeing them because I forget how they all look alike. I tried to have my dad take a picture with his siblings at the funeral, but he was too busy talking story. So by the time he was free, both Uncle Bano and Uncle George had left. But it was nice to have a picture of him with his two sisters. This will be one of the first pictures for the first "Keo Reunion" slide show.

Aunty Helena, Aunty Maumae, and Dad

My dad always talks about how he wants to coordinate a reunion for his side of the family, and I am in full support of that!!! This is something that I feel we need to do, because we need a reason other than funerals to bring us together.