I believe in Aloha. My Hawaiian/Norwegian mother not only believed in it, she practiced it and shared it her whole life. And she instilled its values in me. Through her example, I learned that Aloha is more than just a
I believe in Aloha.
My Hawaiian/Norwegian mother not only believed in it, she practiced it and shared it her whole life. And she instilled its values in me.
Through her example, I learned that Aloha is more than just a word you hear when you call a business in Hawaii, it is a way of life.
How you treat other people, how you choose to live, how you choose to behave says a lot about whether you are truly touched by the spirit of Aloha.
Despite what they try to tell us, despite what you may have heard, I believe the Aloha spirit is not dead. It is alive and well and will always be the driving force that keeps Kauai, Kauai. But those of us who love our island and call her home have an inherent responsibility to help make sure this happens.
It is up to us to safeguard this priceless commodity.
The Aloha Spirit is the essence of Hawaii, so much so that it is actually defined in our State Constitution:
Section 5-7.5 sums it up with these words:
“Aloha Spirit” is the coordination of mind and heart within each person. It brings each person to the self. Each person must think and emote good feelings to others. In the contemplation and presence of the life force.
The section also lists the five words that spell out ALOHA and defines them and their relevance to the concept of Aloha:
A “Akahai” meaning kindness, to be expressed with tenderness
L “Lokahi” meaning unity, to be expressed with harmony
O “Oluolu” meaning agreeable, to be expressed with pleasantness
H “Haahaa” meaning humility, to be expressed with modesty
A “Ahonui” meaning patience, to be expressed with perseverance
For generations, Hawaiians lived their lives in this manner, following guidelines that hadn’t even been established yet.
In recent years, however, Hawaiians and other Kauai residents have had to deal with the pressures of a tough economy and all that brings, no matter where people live.
Some have succumbed and chosen to survive through criminal activity.
Some have even strayed from the tradition of ohana and subjected their families to the heartbreak of domestic violence out of frustration with the way things are.
For others, sadly, greed has motivated their actions.
They have forgotten the basic tenets of the Aloha Spirit. They have forgotten that Aloha and Ohana, are the heart of Hawaii.
Most of us have always been proud that Aloha is the foundation of our culture.
But we do not hold the patent on Aloha, not by a long shot.
Granted, I have been to places in other states where I did encounter people with an aloof, distant attitude towards strangers.
But I have also met so many people who are filled with Aloha and don’t even know it. And they share it freely.
We cannot separate ourselves from Aloha. We cannot remove it from our daily lives.
Our state is called the “Aloha State.”
Every Friday is “Aloha Friday” when most businesses allow their employees to leave their business suits and dress shirts in the closet and wear their favorite Aloha attire to work.
We celebrate our culture with the Aloha festivals.
One of our most beloved queens, Liliuokalani, once said, “Aloha is to learn what is not said, to see what cannot be seen and to know the unknowable.”
We are always encouraged to “Live ‘Aloha’ and pass it on.”
So when I say Aloha, it is not just a word to me, I believe in it, it is my way of life.
What’s more, it comes from my heart … and I am passing it on.
Aloha.
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Rita De Silva is a former editor of The Garden Island and a Kapaa resident.
