The Aloha Spirit
Seeing the aftermath of the wildfires on Maui last week has been heartbreaking. The deadliest wildfire in the US in over 100 years has left a path of total destruction to one of the most beautiful places in the world. Hawaii is one of my favorite places to visit. Specifically, I have some amazing memories of vacationing on Maui. Taking in the beautiful beaches, whale watching from the coast, biking the Haleakala Volcano, dancing with my family at the Old Lahaina Luau, driving to Hana, drinking a Mana Wheat at Maui Brewing, and enjoying fresh poke and the amazing culinary scene. But something that stands out above all of that is how genuine and nice the people of Hawaii are. I’ve learned that much of that can be attributed to what they call, “The Spirit of Aloha.”
The word, “Aloha” is used both as a greeting and as a farewell but the meaning behind the word is far deeper. Derived from Proto-Polynesia, the combination of [Alo] meaning ‘presence’ and [Hā] meaning ‘breath’ translates to ‘breath of life’. However, the spirit of the word is what makes it so special. Children are taught about the spirit through the following acronym:
A: “Akahai,” meaning kindness, to be expressed with tenderness
L: “Lokahi,” meaning unity, to be expressed with harmony
O: “Oluolu,” meaning agreeable, to be expressed with pleasantness
H: “Haahaa,” meaning humility, to be expressed with modesty
A: “Ahonui,” meaning patience, to be expressed with perseverance
And an excerpt from the revised statutes of the state of Hawaii reads:
These are traits of character that express the charm, warmth and sincerity of Hawaii's people. It was the working philosophy of native Hawaiians and was presented as a gift to the people of Hawaiʻi. ''Aloha'' is more than a word of greeting or farewell or a salutation. ''Aloha'' means mutual regard and affection and extends warmth in caring with no obligation in return. "Aloha" is the essence of relationships in which each person is important to every other person for collective existence. ''Aloha'' means to hear what is not said, to see what cannot be seen and to know the unknowable.
A sense of community makes us feel like we belong, it brings more joy to the world and ultimately leads to greater life satisfaction. People are more willing to help one another and look out for their neighbors. When applied at work, it enhances teamwork and is one of the most important components to creating a great place to work. With the strong sense of community on Hawaii, it’s no surprise that the people of Maui immediately jumped into action to help one another before relief efforts could arrive from the mainland. Our friends at Sugar Beach Events in Maui started feeding displaced people out of their own pocket. And there are many stories of the homeless helping the homeless.
With over 2,200 structures burned and the death toll still climbing, there is a long road ahead for healing and recovery and the eventual rebuild. The loss of life, homes, businesses and history is incredibly sad and will have impact for many years to come. I have no doubt that the people of Hawaii will find a way to persevere through this disaster, though. With the ‘Aloha Spirit’ alive and well, I imagine it will bring their communities even closer together and they will come back stronger than before. I think we can all take something from the Spirit of Aloha by examining how we treat one another. If we make a point to show care and respect to the people around us not just in times of need, but in our everyday interactions, we can build stronger communities and enhance the lives of others.
If you’re looking for a way to support the relief efforts, here is a variety of organizations on the island.
And if you want to directly support the hospitality industry, check out The Kokua Restaurant and Hospitality Fund.