"Hawai'i is not a state of mind, but a state of grace."
Paul Theroux
Someone greeted me today with the most lovely smile, saying "Aloha." Something about just hearing the word brings a warm glow and a smile to my heart. I can almost hear the sound of waves rolling gently onto shore and palms swaying in the warm breeze. I see in my mind's eye a beautiful sunset and smell the sweet aroma of plumeria blossoms. Everything inside me relaxes and exhales. . ."ahhhhhhhh".
I think back to the times I have been blessed to visit the Big Island and Oahu. Memories of special moments come to mind--swimming with dolphins; dancing the hula; snorkeling in the crystal blue waters of Kealakekua Bay alongside sea turtles and about a hundred different varieties of fish of many colors and stripes; visiting lush exotic gardens. So much incredible beauty. One of the gardens is quite unique: Paleaku Peace Gardens in Kona, Hawai'i, where gardens and shrines honor many of the world's spiritual traditions. They have a labyrinth, a medicine wheel, a Bodhi Tree, Tibetan Sand Paintings. There is even a Galaxy Garden, a 100-foot diameter scale model of the Milky Way mapped in living plants and flowers. If you're curious here is their website: http://www.paleaku.com.
The word ALOHA carries deep meaning, which I don't pretend to fully understand. It means "hello" and "goodbye" and it means "love". The word holds so much more meaning: "the joyful (oha) sharing (alo) of life energy (ha) in the present (alo). Aloha is about sending and receiving positive energy; it is about living in harmony and sharing joy. There is something essential, mystical, elemental in the very word, that carries the energy of love, peace, and harmony. When we greet each other or part from one another with this blessing, we send one another that positive life force energy. It is a sacred blessing.
And so in the spirit of Aloha, I wish you great joy this day. Can you hear the ukelele playing a sweet refrain, and smell the aroma of gardenia and plumeria?!
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