First Hawaii Story

I could make you jealous with photos of glorious, warm, multicolored water and blue skies. Or pictures of soaring green mountains wreathed in cloud. Or bright images of pastel shave ice in a paper cone. Instead, here's one that says "Hawaii" to me as clearly as any of those travel poster pictures - flip-flops (or "slippers" as they are called locally) at the door and sand that has been brushed off after a day at the beach.

We are headed to Hawaii for 10 days, first to the Big Island to share time with our cousins who recently purchased a condo there, then to Oahu to visit my brother and his family. It will be great to spend time with them all, and to escape the hammering, drilling, and banging that accompanies each day here at home.

I may or may not have time to post while I'm away, so I will leave you with some stories that I love about Hawaii. I have a whole raft of memories that I think of as "only in Hawaii," little vignettes that could happen in other places, but never do. Hawaii isn't special only for its staggering beauty, warm seas, and great food - it's also wonderful for the people who live there.

Years ago, when my parents lived in Honolulu, we frequented a supermarket that was close by. Whenever I went there, I looked for a certain checker, who always lifted my day. She was a Hawaiian lady of a certain age who decorated her cash register every day with hibiscus flowers from her garden placed all the way around the big machine. Hibiscus flowers only last one day, so I knew she brought fresh ones every day. 

She also wore her gleaming black hair pulled tightly into a French twist, and always, always had showy, colorful, tropical flowers along the crease of the twist. With a gentle smile for each customer, she made everyone's day.

I still marvel at a woman who, given one of the world's most boring jobs, brought such a beautiful spirit to work with her. 

Only in Hawaii?  Maybe not, but I have never seen it anywhere else. Have you?