Reunion...

I attended a public meeting tonight in the rural part of O'ahu. Whenever Hawaiians get together to discuss matters of importance, there always is a heaviness, a kaumaha in the air. Mixed with lots of Aloha too. The pain of the kupuna come through the descendants and the sadness can tear your heart into little pieces. The the profound Aloha helps put the little pieces back together again. Then they rip. Then they get patched together. Such is the life of a Hawaiian. During the meeting, I stepped outside of the din of the meeting and into the quiet darkness of the elementary school grounds. I remembered when iwi kupuna, the bones of our ancestors, were disturbed during renovations at the school so many years ago. I remember right where they were found and where they were reburied when we planted them back into the ground. And in my quiet contemplation outside. I found out they remembered me too. Our precious children learn and play in the presence and under the watchful eye of their kupuna everyday. Mahalo no e na kupuna aloha. Your love brought me peace tonight and patched up the little tears in my heart...