Keeping The Spirit of Aloha Alive

I am a Nurse and helped give flu shots to an entire school recently.  There were 5 Nurses giving shots. The auditorium was noisy when large classes came through, so it was hard for the students to hear when they were being called up as the next person in line.

While the other Nurses said, “next in line”.  I raised both my arms up high and motioned to the next student to come. At the same time, I said in a loud voice - “hui”, or really, “huuuuuui!”, which is a Hawaiian way to call someone and get their attention. It’s a very nice way of saying “HEY!” I got some odd looks from the other Nurses and the students, I’m sure this once very common Hawaiian behavior was foreign to them. I was struck by the irony that I was at a Hawaiian School, in Hawaii, and yet my Hawaiian way of being was not familiar to those around me. It hurt my heart. Hawaiians are the minority here, and our ways are dying off. As a Hawaiian, it is my kuleana - responsibility, to keep aloha alive. So for 7 hours, students, teachers, and Nurses learned or were reminded of a common Hawaiian mannerism. I hope they took note and recognized the spirit of aloha in action through me. 

Here are some ways that I shared the spirit of aloha while giving shots: 
I brought food to share. I was authentic, warm, and welcoming to each of the 125 students that sat at my table. I greeted each one of them with a smile. I looked them in the eye and sincerely asked how they were. I was fully present. I took a minute to get to know them. (Are you a senior? Do you play sports? What beautiful eyes you have! Etc.)

To be clear, I am not lauding my actions. My purpose is to share examples of the aloha spirit, so that you can keep it alive too.  You don’t have to live in Hawaii or be Hawaiian to do it.  The Spirit of Aloha really is just treating others as you would want to be treated; it’s being a decent human being.

So the next time you greet someone, greet them with Aloha, it will make this world a better place.

Here is a recipe to help you share the aloha.

Chicken Long Rice.pdf