It wasn’t difficult to be engulfed in the spirit of Aloha on the shores of Hawai’i. A complex and profound sentiment, it encompasses love, affection, peace, compassion, mercy, sympathy, kindness, pity, and respect. It is a way of living life with emotions that defy definition.
I felt the power of Aloha on our first morning in Waikiki, having breakfast at the Hard Rock Cafe of all places. We had arrived late the evening before, so it was our first chance to step out into the humid, sweet air and enjoy being in a place so overflowing with natural beauty. We ate on an open patio while a Jack Johnson style musician delighted us with each song he chose to play. I had the best-ever cup of tea on an island in the middle of the ocean, remembering what it felt like to be happy. Aloha is loving self first, so that your heart is overflowing and the love spreads to others.
Aloha first begins with parent and child, so it was fitting to be in paradise with my daughter. It is the spirit of family and connections of the heart. The locals call each other uncle and cousin, with respect and affection. My sister and I left a memorial on a tree at Shipwreck Beach to honour our dad, who loved Hawai’i. We are part of it all and the all is part of we.
Aloha is interacting rightfully with the natural world, like the locals who lived on the beach; they fished to feed themselves, the waves nearly touched their toes while they slept, and it was them who sorted out the recycling from the trash other campers threw away.
Hawai’i is a place to discover the harmony within that the spirit of Aloha brings. Harmony moves the goddesses dancing the hula. Peace comes with creating sand sculptures on the beach. Real self is expressed through laughter and art. The sunrises and sunsets fill the heart to overflowing.
Aloha is how we treat ourselves, by being understanding and forgiving. When we can express our love to others, we are treating them with Aloha, influencing their spirit. We are holding their pain as our own pain. We are sharing the present joy of living in harmony.
Comments