hauʻoli lā makuahine!

We just enjoyed a wonderful Mother's Day + I was reminded of how blessed we are, so I'm dusting off one of my favorite posts to share a message that is still close to my heart...

Having grown up with just a younger sister, I was not prepared for having two boys. They constantly surprise me with the things they do + the way they think - never a dull moment! There truly is something to that men=mars/women=venus theory.

It's been just the three of us (+ my parents) since my boys were 1 + 3 years old, so we are especially close...they're 13 + 15 now, but I still feel so blessed that we have in incredibly special bond. We're an affectionate ʻohana that frequently says "I love you" + fills each other's "lovetanks."

When my sister had her first child, my niece filled a space in my heart I didn't even know existed. She's my sweetiegirl + I'm her auntiemommy...she's come to church with me since she was three months old, and my choir director loves that she's the "keiki alto." She's my little shadow, a true child of my heart. She now has a little brother who's really great at filling lovetanks...I feel so blessed to have these four keiki to bring so much joy, laughter + love into my life.

ʻAe, mahalo ke Akua no nā keiki. I am so grateful for such precious blessings!

he makana
A valuable and lasting lesson from my mommy: "catch your child doing something right." Focus on the positive, not the negative.

Mahalo ke Akua no kuʻu makuahine, no nā makuahine i keia ao...thank you Lord for my mommy, and for all the mothers of this world.

ku'u moku, ku'u home

mālama maui
kuʻu home aloha
mahalo kākou

my sissy, my friend

I call my dearest girlfriends, related by koko or not - "Sissy." We've all been through a lot together, and our hearts stay connected even if we don't see each other often. My Sissy here on Maui is a Hawaiian Protocol Specialist + is very akamai. I love the way her heart and soul shine through her words. Today's makana is an excerpt from one of her "Morning Manaʻo" radio spots.

he makana
"We have been focusing on mahalo, gratitude and thanksgiving. We can express mahalo through pule. Pule translates as prayer, incantation, blessing, grace, to worship, say grace, ask a blessing. Pule was a part of our ancestors' daily routines, daily life. Everything was accompanied by pule. Sometimes we think of pule as a time to ask Ke Akua for blessings. Sometimes we forget that pule is also a time to give thanks and recount all the many blessings ke Akua has given us. In our family we have Pule ʻOhana, family prayer, in the morning and again in the evening. It is a time when we gather together as ʻohana and offer pule. Everyone participates, from the youngest to the oldest. During pule ʻohana we are often reminded of the many blessings we have and we are able to mahalo aku, express our gratitude. Often, the most poignant pule comes from the mouths of our children as they mahalo aku ke Akua. So, the next time you prepare to pule, remember to begin with mahalo. Imagine if we all took the time today to offer a pule mahalo, a prayer of gratitude!"

You see? I told you she was smart! Get more "Morning Manaʻo" at http://www.thehawaiianlearningcenter.com/. Mahalo Ke Akua no kuʻu Sissy.

Ke Akua pū, a hui hou.