He Ho'omana'o Aloha

By Sheila Mae Uluwehi Roback

Ha'alele i ka lā ka mea mahana Ku'u ka luhi, ua maha Lele ka hoaka

He has left the warmth of the sun He has let down his weariness and is at rest His spirit has flown away; the glory of the land has departed These ‘ōlelo no'eau, wise sayings, express death as found in the heart of life. Life and death are one just as the kahawai (stream) and kai (sea) are one. Rich am I to have been blessed with this day, this place, and these dearly beloved.

These days spent among the Kūpuna seem all too brief, and briefer still are the words written to honor them. Their voice must never fade in our ears, nor their love vanish from our memory. Their laughter carried us up to caress the clouds. The tears we shared of joy and sorrow carved a deep and inseparable path to our very being. The lessons they have taught us revealed the fullness of light.

We walked together… If we fall, we fall for those behind us and those ahead of us. We walk together… The passion for life they passed on to us is like a flame burning in our souls. May it continue to burn within us, that we may sing and dance and rise above our fears.

The peace and serenity they have comforted us with has brought healing, compassion and guidance to face whatever storms may come; knowledge in our hearts, a deepening of the spirit. The teachings and values they have instilled in us are of faith, lovingness, forgiveness and understanding. We must sow with love and reap with thanksgiving.

The vision they unveiled to each of us are a mystery to another, yet they give us wings to soar and seeds to harvest. The sweetness of their friendship in our bosom dwells in truth; timeless, boundless and immeasurable. The gift of prayer they entrust to us brings fullness of joy and abundance to our days.

The legacy they leave for us is nurtured in the depths of our hopes, strengths, desires and dreams. We can begin to climb, for through them we have reached the mountain top. They have spoken. Have we listened? Through their eyes we have witnessed miracles, mysteries, promises, light and truth. Their hearts beat in our hearts, their breath upon our faces. In beholding them, we behold each other.

They have given so much, for they gave of themselves. They have inspired the very good in us and sealed our memory with the very best of their yesterdays. They remind us of who we are, where we come from and where we are going.

It is our duty to remember and continue in their love. To love as they have loved. The greatest gift we are graced with is love. When love calls…follow. Give thanks for another day of loving. Aloha kekahi i kekahi… Aloha ke Akua!

Sheila is the Senior Center Director of Hale Hulu Mamo. She grew up in Hāna and graduated from Hāna School. She received an Associate in Arts degree from Leeward Community College. She has two beautiful children and three grandchildren. Sheila considers her ‘Ohana to be one of her greatest accomplishments. In her spare time, Sheila dedicates her time and talents to her church (St. Mary’s Catholic Church) where she enjoys working with youth and is a lector and bereavement leader. Sheila accepts her Kuleana to nurture who she is as a Hawaiian by creating a strong cultural base from which she can better serve the Kūpuna (elders), family, community and world. Working at Hale Hulu Mamo has been a blessing in her life; she cherishes every moment she spends with the Kūpuna of Hāna and appreciates the wisdom and light that they hold.

14 PŌ'AI PILI: Kaupō Community Newsletter Photo Credit: Kim Moa

East Maui mourns the loss of one of our community’s greatest pillars of strength, aloha, and ‘ike. Uncle John

Lind was a loving son, husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend; a steadfast community advocate and leader; an aloha

‘āina warrior and Hawaiian rights activist; a profound man, wise kupuna, and great teacher that touched, and often shaped, the lives of so many of us who were blessed to know him.

John Lind returned home to Ke Akua on June 22, 2022, leaving a profound and lasting legacy—both tangible and intangible—within his ‘ohana, ‘āina, community, and lāhui. Although Uncle John will long be remembered and honored for his impactful work, perhaps our most lasting memories will be of his generosity of spirit; the light in his eyes; his hands turned ever toward the earth; his smile, laughter, and perpetual kindness.

Uncle John made pa‘a so many of the maka that form the beautiful ‘upena of our community life here in East Maui. He helped to found, alongside his wife Tweetie, the Hāna District Pohaku, Hāna Canoe Club, Hāna Surf Club, East Maui Taro Festival, Kauiki Council, Nā Mamo o Mu‘olea, Kīpahulu ‘Ohana, Kalena Triangle and Kīpahulu Commercial Kitchen, and Kapahu Living Farm. He also served on the Hāna Community Advisory Committee for the Hāna Community Plan update.

As the Konohiki of the Kīpahulu moku, Uncle John worked tirelessly to care for the ‘āina, wai, and kai of his ancestral homeland while protecting the precious natural resources that are critical to the well-being of honua and kānaka, and to generations present and those yet to come. Most recently, Uncle John and the Kīpahulu ‘Ohana had been working to