Float like a butterfly, sting like a kid who hasn't been fed in ... minutes!

The phone rang early in June – the caller let my daughter, Ruth, know the wheels she had put in motion two years ago had finally come to a stop and that a son was waiting in Japan to adopt her.  It’s a long long way from Scottsdale to Tokyo.  We left on June 14^th, arriving on June 15^th (it’s 13 hours earlier there) and my grandson was delivered to us at our hotel on June 16^th.

He was named Roma Nakamura by his birth mother and my first thought after watching his speedy little fists grab for his bottle was, he should be called Cassius Clay.  When we met he was one day short of a month old and I was four days short of 75. 

He remained Roma for a few weeks but the name didn’t quite fit the handsome little dude.  Wanting to honor his Japanese heritage, Ruth renamed him Kazuki Lynn.  Kazu means “one” and “harmony,” combined with Ki which means “radiance,” “shine,” and “hope.”    And let’s face it; “Kaz” sounds cool.

Lynn is a tribute to my lovely wife Margaret.  She assigned it herself when completing a form for her high school diploma (having been short-changed an official middle name at birth).  When her name was called at the graduation ceremony, her mother stood up and loudly objected.  Margaret gleefully made it a point to use Lynn in her name thereafter.  Kazuki’s eyes have a mischievous sparkle that is comfortingly familiar, so the moniker is highly appropriate.

Today is July 10^th and little Kazuki has nearly doubled in weight and his boxing skills have increased correspondingly. His big sister, Izzy, calls him “little guy” and has happily embraced her new status. He doesn’t have a job yet, but I have appointed myself his agent and we are fielding offers.   

There is no doubt that we wholly belong to Kazuki.