Episode 2: Why Aloha?

Many people know that Aloha means "Hello" and "Goodbye", but did you know that it also means "Love"? Have you ever been in a room where the speaker gets up and says, "Aloha!" and everyone responds back with "Aloha!"? Not only does it grab everyone's attentions, but it literally changes the feel in the room. Perfect strangers on either side of you feel more like friends and the speaker feels more welcome in front of the crowd. When I lived in Hawaii, anytime someone got up to the pulpit in church they would say "Hello" in their native tongue; "Malo e lelei", "Kia ora", "Bula vinaka", "Kon'nichiwa" and so on. If you were a Haole from the states like I was, you adopted "Aloha" and the Hawaiians adopted you. This heart centered culture took root in my heart and set the tone for how I wanted to live the rest of my life.