November 2014 – māmā.aloha.ʻāina

Hauʻoli Lā Kūʻokoʻa!

By Sharde on Friday, November 28, 2014

Hauʻoli lā kūʻokoʻa!!! (Happy Hawaiian Independence day!) There are so many great events that occurred today, or this week, to celebrate today! I especially appreciate our community’s celebrations today because it is yet another example of how we already have sovereignty, including broader definitions of “sovereignty.”

In celebration of Lā Kūʻokoʻa, Kawena (my 2 year old daughter) and I created this ka pīʻāpā (Hawaiian alphabet) chart.

This came after lots of searching/researching for “existing” teaching tools that they sell at the store. There were multiple problems with what’s sold at the store, other than the obvious of it not being ma ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. Nevertheless, it may not have all the bells and whistles like the charts sold at the store, but we had fun making it and it’ll help her learn 🙂

Also, in celebration of Lā Kūʻokoʻa, we plan to make a loving meal with these produce from Meghan Leialoha Au and Hanalē Bishop of Homestead Poi!

More broadly, creating this chart with my daughter reminded me of how my perspective and importance on planning for future generations has been forever changed. Specifically to lā kūʻokoʻa, this brings to mind what I want Hawaiʻi to look like tomorrow, ten years from now, and seven generations from now. Here’s some manaʻo (from a paper I wrote in law school):

Everyone has a roof over their heads, education is free, and no one goes hungry. Hawaiʻi is a leader in the world because of its sustainable farming practices that sustains it’s over one million person population. Farms are not only a place that sustains the people physically with food to eat, but also medicinal herbs for healing and a safe space for other cultural practices.

How did you celebrate Lā Kūʻokoʻa? What do you want Hawaiʻi (of the future) to look like?

aloha māmā

Making Space

By Sharde on Sunday, November 23, 2014

Admission: I failed the bar exam. It sucks; it really does.

But this post is about making space in order to move forward and prepare for the future.

While I may have failed the bar exam, shortly after taking the bar exam and before I received my bar exam results, we learned that we are pregnant! So as I prepare to take the February 2015 bar exam, we are also preparing for baby #2 in March 2015. Yes, I will be around 8 months pregnant on the testing days of the bar exam. As a friend put it, I will have the “advantage” of two brains instead of one<3

Upon receiving the bar exam results, there are so many emotions that ran through me. But heaviest of all, is realizing the burden of having to study and take the bar exam again. Reflecting on how many things in life got put on “hold,” and having to retreat to an isolated study cave, this is the grimmest reality of it all.

So I thought, why is it this way? It doesn’t have to be like this, does it?! I’m tired of putting things, my family, my life on “hold.” More time passed and further contemplation brewed. Then, I took the PLUNGE! I let myself think about what needs to be cleared from the path, where I need to make space, so that when I do need to buckle down and focus on studying for the bar, I will not only be mentally prepared, but also ready to receive and build upon the knowledge that I have and need to retain.

Interestingly, we are having the same discussions in clearing the path, making space, and preparing for baby. “Nesting” often refers to the physical preparation that we do, but we are also preparing for baby in ensuring that that baby is born in a loving and supportive environment.

As I continue to make space, nest, and prepare for the future, I’ve been noticing the many forms that “making space” takes. In some instances, individuals make space to raise voices that would otherwise go unheard or even silenced. Or, making space can open the doors for something new to shine through.

How are you “making space”?

About Blogging

māmā.aloha.ʻāina Blog is born <3

By Sharde on Friday, November 21, 2014

māmā.aloha.ʻāina blog is born with love from the encouragement of my family and friends. Taken separately, “māmā,” “aloha,” and “ʻāina” each encapsulate my intentions with this blog , my passion, and what gives me life. Similarly, taken together, “māmā aloha ʻāina” can be translated to mean “a mother who loves the land.” To further elaborate on my goals for this blog, the following describes what each component of this blog entails and my passions.

Māmā. Simply, I am a mother. From celebrating life occasions, discovering and learning how to parent, reflecting upon the discomfort that may come through growth and change, trying a new recipe to feed my family, or my continuous personal growth, these are all the different aspects that I look forward to sharing on my journey as a mother, daughter, and wife.

Aloha. Love. A deep instinctive care for the well-being and health of my family and the world. To maintain and care for the relationships with each other and with the environment.

ʻĀina. Land. That, which feeds you. Caring for the farmers, stewards, kuaʻāina of the land. Re-connecting with the land with learning how to garden, farm, and maintain sustainable practices that will feed my family (not only physically, but also mentally and spiritually as well). Being open to the knowledge that the ʻāina teaches us in trying to maintain a “modern” lifestyle while also practicing Native Hawaiian traditional and cultural practices.

Ua hānau ʻia ʻo ia. (She is born.)

Month: November 2014

Hauʻoli Lā Kūʻokoʻa!

Making Space

māmā.aloha.ʻāina Blog is born <3