Kauai Kupuna07/20/2025

Soft-Shoe and Sway: Kūpuna Guiding the Dance of Change

Soft-Shoe and Sway: Kūpuna Guiding the Dance of Change

By Kim Sueoka, Kaua’i Adult Day Health Center Program Director

Aloha, kūpuna, caregivers, and friends, and warmest greetings to you this fall season!
What stands out in your mind during this season of change?
Just as we may be noticing the shifting angle of the sun and the beginnings of winter ocean conditions from the shore, the fall season is an invitation to notice changes in ourselves and the people around us without judgement; a gift for our present and ongoing life-navigation.The kūpuna and staff at Kaua’i Adult Day Health rely on this gift throughout the year, but we are especially reminded of its potency in the fall, when we walk together toward some days of the year most strongly associated with family and faith traditions.Changes such as the loss of a loved one or the emergence of a new health condition add new dimensions to the ways we think, feel, and engage with our traditions.

Each change is an opportunity to ask: How might we modify our roles to better fit who we are today? How can we harness our strengths to celebrate what is most important to us in this moment? What creative approaches can we take to building support for ourselves and each other?

A favorite pastime at Kaua’i Adult Day Health, for kūpuna and staff alike, is dancing. With nimble feet and hands like birds, our kūpuna bust out the moves, and the center erupts in cheers and applause. Sometimes the dancing is seated – led by a spirited staff member or volunteer. At other times the kūpuna take the lead, sweeping the floor with a hula, an adapted fox trot, twist, or Japanese odori; the staff alongside them the luckiest dance partners in town.

For those observing or participating in this glorious ritual, the learning is immediate and sometimes very emotional: we dance our way into and through our changes. We dance together, fortified because we see and acknowledge one another.

The range of our experiences and feelings around change are as varied as the leaves and branches around our beautiful island. Mahalo to all kūpuna for teaching us to create a space for this reality. Mahalo to all caregivers, families, and friends, for navigating change with compassion and openness. It is an honor to share the dancefloor with you, and I look forward to what more we will learn together.

Kaua’i Adult Day Health

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