"Practice Aloha"

To Pratice Aloha is essentially living by the Golden Rule (behaving with empathy for other people, having respect for the Hawaiian culture and feeling a deep appreciation for the surrounding). The residents of Maui say each of us will have a story of a perfect moment when we understand what it means to "Practice Aloha".


We visited what Maui calls a 'swap meet' held at the Community College in Kahului. It is held every Saturday and admission is 50 cents per person. We did not have very high expectations for this event, but wanted to add it to our list of experiences. Upon arrival, we immediately noticed how clean everything was and how organized. This was definitely not a giant garage sale! It was a market with fresh organic fruits and vegetables, tropical flowers, jewelry, clothing, and really fun accessories.

Lingering at one particular booth, I overheard the vendor talking to a young couple. She was relating to them how challenging life can be and offering encouragement for them to follow their dreams. I was very moved by this woman's testimony as it resonated truth without 'preaching' or being invasive. A few minutes later when the young couple moved on, the woman approached me asking if I needed help. She answered a few of my questions and before I left for the next booth, I found myself thanking her for opening her heart to the young couple. She might never know how pivotal her advice may have been and I wanted her to know how much witnessing the exchange had meant to me.

It became one of those magical moments where strangers instantly become friends. She shared with me that she had studied every religion recorded and that she and her Jewish husband blend their melting pot of beliefs into an open forum with youth in the area. Simply stated, she listens for the individual's belief system and then uses appropropriate terms that will support it. "If a person follows Zen, I speak Zen. If a person is Catholic, I speak of catholicism. All belief systems eventually take us to the same place," she mused.

We discussed higher consciousness and the emerging sense of oneness. I mentioned being a Reiki Master and she was an energy worker as well. Kindred spirits indeed! We hugged each other promising to make our energy more pronounced wherever we went. Hawaiians do not say good bye, they only say "ALOHA". When I took one more appreciative glance back at her, we both said "Aloha" experiencing a perfect moment!