One Person.

A friend recently asked me to describe one person I had met here on the island. Picking one person to describe is a difficult task. Each person has been unique and simply fantastic. The culture reflects a blend consisting of Filipino, Japanese and Hawaiian traditions. I find the culture refreshing. People actually take time out of their day to sit and share with you. It is called "talk story" here on the island. It is not unusual for someone to drop by your home unannounced and stay for hours talking story. We have encountered these special moments several times already. I love it. Seriously, people actually sit and talk. They do not glance at their watches or appear to be preoccupied with what is happening next in the day. There is a sense of real presence and for those of you who know me well, I dig that. 


Yesterday we had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Edna. What a precious soul Ms. Edna is. She stands about 4'8'' tall, hair tied neatly in a bun with chocolate brown eyes that seem deep as the ocean. You can tell by her hands that she has worked the pineapple fields and has had a difficult work life. Oh, her spirit. What a lady! She shared with us about her 2 sons on Honolulu and about her daughter in California. She recounted to us about all the great things her children are doing afar. Ms. Edna beamed when she shared about her granddaughter who is now Captain of the volleyball team despite the fact that she takes after Ms. Edna in height. 


Once she was done boasting about her children and all they were accomplishing, she released a deep sigh. With the release of her breath and shrug of her shoulders she softly said, "look at me...I just scrub floors. Oh well". My heart broke with her at that very moment. She is a phenomenal woman with a servant’s heart. 


We happened to run into her today and she was even more delightful then I remembered from the day prior. Ms. Edna impacted me on many levels. She represents the long past of the island of Lana’i with a glimpse towards the hope of a future within the stories of her children. She is a pillar of strength that sacrificed much for her family throughout the years. Her eyes revealed that she has seen so much life and were full of wisdom. Hope was in her voice when she spoke of her children yet there was also a deep sadness for the grief she felt from being alone on the island since they have moved away. This is not a unique story to the Kapuna's of the island (elderly). In order to survive the Keiki (youth) leave which breaks the strong family units that have existed for generations. 

*Names have been changed.