Song of the Week

Listen to this song as you read to help open you up.

Updates! Hawaii

I'm coming back from seeing my great aunty in Hawaii. She is 96 and for the last few years has taught me a lot about what it means to grow into an elder. Before I go into how incredible she is, I want to say that of course she is also human and flawed, and that hasn't kept her from becoming an elder in my mind. What I keep coming back to over and over again with her is that the closer she comes to death, the more clearly she communicates love. She wants us to know-- she loves us dearly. That message is repeated over and over again. Even while in great physical pain, disabled in so many ways, nearly mute, nearly deaf, breathing is difficult, and still her goal is to transmit this message. 

She caresses the phone screen, gently touching the cheeks of beloveds over Facetime. Tears welling in her eyes. She is grabbing my hand and holding it against her cheek whenever she is not holding someone else's hand. She is using what little energy she has to rub arms, to flex a bicep at my nieces, who are flexing their biceps to show her how strong they are over the phone from Illinois. As she falls asleep from exhaustion, she is reaching for us. I feel guilty, I have not called her for a year-- how is it that a year has passed? Yet she is not blaming, not guilt tripping, critiquing, she is just present with the gift that we are together now. She points to me and says, "beautiful". Then points to my nose ring, shakes her head, grimaces. We both laugh. We both start crying, again. 

A big shift started a few years ago when she seriously started preparing for death. We had been playing phone tag, as long distance families do, and at the end of her messages she said, "Thank you for being in my life". I played that message a few times, saved it to my phone. Her love was palpable in my chest.

There were no subtle, or sharp messages of inadequacy in her farewell, nor was she pretending that everything was ok and that she would live forever. It sounds so simple! Yet there are so many older people in this society who do not have the skills to say I love you this clearly. I say skills here, because my Great Aunty EJ has not always been able to do this. It can be a learned thing and I know this because I’ve known her my whole life.

Not knowing how, or not having the emotional and spiritual resources/endurance, to reach out while in pain, without blaming others is hard and not the norm, though it could be. I understand from a logical perspective why people blame others! It makes so much sense. Feeling abandoned, alone, neglected, under appreciated. Yes, yes, all those things are true! I'm uplifting this not to criticize people who do this, but because it is so understandable-- and we really need a world that has more of the "thank you for being in my life" kind of elders. We need them walking around. Lying on couches. In gardens. We need them smile-crying at us through a phone screen thousands of miles away.

Thank you for letting me bring a little bit of my great aunty home with me, and thank you for being in my life. May we all learn from the elders who are in right-relationship with their time and stage on earth. 

Sign Up for My Knot Tying/Rope Ladder Class!

Dear ones I am so excited to lead this class. Making knots started as a grief practice and has transformed into a multifaceted practice and passion of mine. I hope you can join me for these!

Can’t make it to all four four of the Minneapolis classes? Don’t sweat it. See below.

For my Minneapolis classes, while making all four classes is best, IF you can only make the 1st (June 9) or 2nd (June 16) of these classes, these two could be attended as one-off classes, meaning you could sign up for just one or both of these two classes. The 3rd and 4th classes, June 23 and June 30th, culminate in making the rope ladder so if you only make it to these two classes, that would work too, if you’re up for the challenge of jumping to start making the rope ladder and can’t make it to the first two classes. I know summer is busy. If this is you, then go ahead and register, specify in the google form that the dates you can and cannot make in the form under the “access needs and other things you want to share with me”. In regards to cost, let me know if it’s a barrier and we can work something out.

Eiko Mizushima is a fiscal year 2026 recipient of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Schedule With Me

OTR/L, BA, MHP, LMT,
she/they) Integrative Therapies

I offer individuals and couples trauma informed somatic experiencing (SE)/coaching, craniosacral therapy, consultations, large group facilitation, art/nature/foraging workshops, and healing through art, play, and connecting to nature. I will resume giving Swedish massage and Thai massage in early June after I’ve healed from my hand surgery. Free 15 minute consultations can be booked on my website if you’re intrigued or have questions.

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Thanks for READING! Share my newsletter with a beloved if you think they might like it!

xoxo Eiko