Monday Journal Prompt: Nani ke Kalo
Last week, I was tending to the Kalo that I got as a gift from Leilani from the Keiki Department, and as I was picking off the brown leaves and trying to wash off the spider mites, I was struck by the thought that this kalo could very well be the same kalo that my kupuna planted centuries ago! That thought reminded me of an olelo noeau I learned from a poi cohort we participated in at Ulupo Heiau in Kailua. The olelo noeau is, “nani ke kalo,” which means “beautiful is the kalo.”
Kalo is beautiful for many reasons, but one reason that came to me as I was tending to it, was the beauty of its resilience - that after ALL THESE YEARS, it is still here and very much a part of Hawaii. It is still grown, given, and eaten in homes all over our islands and even throughout the world. It still connects us to aina, gives us a symbol of hope, and nourishes our keiki. That is beautiful.
Kalo also represents kanaka. Hawaiians believed that Kalo came from the body of our very eldest brother, Haloa. Now that is a story for another time, but it is important because just like kalo, we too are resilient! We too have remained after all of these many years to perpetuate the aspects of our culture that have lived on through our families and communities. We too are beautiful. Nani ke kanaka!
This week’s journal prompt is for you to write about the ways you are resilient. For me, I find that I am resilient when I fail. I make a lot of mistakes, but I have a strong desire to always make things right so I push through even when I am embarrassed or feeling inadequate.
Just last week, I tried to put on a free workshop, which didn’t go exactly as well as I thought it would. I was kinda embarrassed after, but I knew that the information I shared was valuable - I just needed more practice in delivering it. I decided to not beat myself up too much about it and to promise to learn from the experience. I practiced resilience!
I want to hear from you now. How are you resilient in the challenges you encounter?
