A lifetime ago I was blessed to be able to work on multiple occasions in Hawaii, getting to know people who live there and do the same kind of work I do on the mainland. And sure, also getting to experience the awesome beauty of this very special place. But what has stuck with me through the years is the spirit of aloha of the Hawaiian people. Aloha is much more than a “Hello” or “Goodbye.” It is a deeply meaningful way of being that encompasses love, compassion, kindness, and much more. I was earnestly touched by the aloha of so many people I met and encountered during my times in Hawaii.
And as my heart profoundly aches with the horrific devastation and loss of life in Lahaina, I send much aloha to the people of Maui. In their honor, I’m reprising the first blog post I ever wrote, which was inspired by one of my favorite places on Earth, Haleakalā, the house of the sun, on the island of Maui.
An excerpt from the 2017 blog post, The Peak is Always There:
“At a recent mindfulness retreat I was guided through a mountain pose meditation. I thought of Haleakalā, with her long, gradual slopes encompassing most of the island of Maui. I thought of how she is always there with a universe of beings on her. Her movement is imperceptible. She is massive and steady. She allows whatever is, to be. Sometimes all around her is very clear, and taking in the totality of her expanse, her immenseness is just awe-inspiring. Sometimes the clouds are covering her so that it’s easy to forget she’s there. But even when the clouds are so socked in that her peaks are not seen, as one travels up her slopes, gradually moving higher and higher to where the air thins and the ears pop, still there’s more of her way beyond. On the road in the clouds with dropping temperature and rain, there’s a slight, barely perceptible lightness that shifts. Then a small glimpse of blue. Then suddenly the sunshine appears again, so intensely bright. A completely clear sky of the deepest blue and a brilliant sun that seems close enough to touch. Her peak is almost always clear with a vista high above the clouds. Able to look down and see the fog and the rain way below. But looking out ahead to clearness, clarity, infinity. The awareness of being a part of a larger whole. Of belonging. An awareness of the steadiness of the Earth and our universe, regardless of the disturbances below. I strive to be like Haleakalā. Steady, consistent, stable, with clarity and a deep knowing beyond the moments of disturbance. Sometimes I forget the peak is there when I’m so tuned into the clouds and the storms. In those moments it’s hard to remember the peak and there’s fear that it’s not there anymore. But it’s there. It’s always there. It’s always there for us all.”
May the mightiness of Haleakalā help the people of Lahaina remember the peak, though the journey is scary and sometimes overwhelming. May the light begin to shift and the small glimpse of blue begin to peek through. And may the sun shine bright again. And may they know that it is always there. Aloha!
