The Beloved Hawaiian Child

Illustration by Dietrich Varez

He hi'i alo, ua milimili 'ia i ke alo, ua ha'awe 'ia ma ke kua, ua lei 'ia ma ka 'ā'ī.

A beloved, fondled in the arms, borne on the back, whose arms circle the neck as a lei.

The new issue of Ka Wai Ola is out for July. There is a wonderful article on the 'olelo no'eau from above. The article is written by Claire Ku'uleilani Hughes, Dr. PH., R.D. In it she talks about how the keiki of old were cherished by the whole family and not just the parents. Grandparents, sisters, and brothers were all responsible for the upbringing of a younger keiki. Everyone was responsible for protecting, developing and instilling customs, traditions and wisdoms into the growing keiki.

While reading this article I thought about how times have changed and the emphasis on family and the roles within the family have changed. It's not unusual to see a family where siblings don't interact with one another let alone care for one another. It is sad, but it is true. In a world where keiki grow up feeling that they are supposed to have something given or done for them, it is hard to instill the sense of responsibility in them. In a world where "I deserve this" takes the place of "I have earned this" I find myself reflecting back to how I was raised. My parents always instilled a sense of responsibility for myself and my family from as way back as I can remember. Other than love and help from my parents, I had to earn the things that I wanted. I can not thank my parents enough for those lessons that they taught as I see why they did now in my adult life.

Take the time to read the article in the July issue of Ka Wai Ola. It is a good reminder that we are responsible for shaping the future by shaping our keiki.

At the end of the article, Hughes states that it is "still our kuleana to assure the health and development of our keiki". I could not agree with her more with that statement and hope that everyone (at least those reading this) also agrees. She also asks a great question at the end that I will ask everyone of you.....

How well do you think we are doing?