First and foremost I’m a family man. In Hawaiian, we call it ohana and that’s what we’re all about. If you’ll notice in the photo above we are different colors, shapes, and sizes. Although different we are still family. That’s me in left row center holding my son Kai’noa, bruddah Eric Hermanson behind me, my wife Tara in the middle and our daughter Laila on the far right. Just think of the animated Disney movie “Lilo & Stitch”. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. It’s a story about a cute and lonely space alien named Stitch who happens to crash land on Hawaii. A cute little Hawaiian girl named Lilo, through her love, faith and unwavering belief in ohana, the Hawaiian concept of family helps unlock Stitch’s heart and gives him the ability to care for someone else. Super cute and rated PG.
Lilo & Stitch
Hawaiians spend their entire lives expanding their ohana, searching for loyal and trustworthy loved ones to welcome into the family. If blessed the ohana can become large but its members always remain a very tight-knit. After all, our life mission is to spread aloha but our entire existence also depends on it. Voyaging many miles by sea on large twin hull canoes with a crew of fifteen or so different people from different races meant we really had to get along. If you couldn’t where were you to go? Remember you would have been wayfinding on a vessel in the middle of the vast ocean and then there’s the ho’oponopono luau’s.
These were designed to gather everyone together, talk story, find out who was in need, resolve issues and join together to support one another. It’s no secret that there’s power in numbers and if we all bonded together and truly looked out for one another’s needs, there would be no reason to look out for our own. Where did this incredibly beautiful theme come from? The Bible, of course, found at Philippians 2:4 “as you look out not only for your own interests but also for the interests of others.” Life would be much easier this way. Some call it paradise, others call it Hawaii. Jesus promises the entire earth will become a paradise, Luke 23:43 “Truly I tell you today, you will be with me in Paradise.”
Remember when I said our goal was to spread the aloha aka love? Well, Hawaiians didn’t invent that either. It originates from our Grand Creator Jehovah God. At 1 John 4:8 He makes it known that “God is love” and those who do not know love, what true love is or cannot find it do not know Him. 1 Corinthians 13 is my favorite chapter out of the entire Bible because it focuses entirely on love and not the love that comes and goes but true love everlasting, how to find it and how to live it. So why all the preaching? Because it is part of who I am, my identity as a Jehovah’s Witness.
Now before you go freaking out and thinking I’m part of a cult or something. Take a breath and picture the greatest man who ever lived – Jesus who gave himself for us. His entire existence was dedicated to preaching, teaching and serving others. He went door to door, he taught us not to lie, cheat, steal or kill. He taught us about love, how to serve one another and of the beautiful paradise to come among many other things including working honestly and diligently. He learned all this from his Father Jehovah and he was the greatest Witness of all times. Now would you want someone with these characteristics working for you? If Jesus came knocking on your door would you be open to spend a little time with him and listen or would you slam the door in his face? It’s just something to think about. Below is a photo of my family and friends, my ohana. We are all brothers and sisters. All volunteering our time and services.
This Personal Page is a work in progress. There’s still more to come…