Life is Sailing

I have fallen for this flower, the stately hibiscus. Its five grandiose petals attract the eye of any observer of plants. It symbolizes beauty and joy, happiness and sunshine, friendship and love, mystery and knowledge. The hibiscus is also Hawaii’s state flower, fitting since Hawaii is the Aloha state, known for its welcome of visitors.

When we left Hawaii the first time, I found this necklace above and treasured it as a reminder of the island that stirred my soul alive.

A few years later after being blessed to return to paradise, we were facing another departure from the Aloha state, and I needed a replacement phone case. My favorite place to find phone covers was on the North Shore in Haleiwa at a stand across from Matsumoto’s Shave Ice. Previously I had discovered an octopus case, beautifully etched in painted wood. The octopus holds a story for another time. This day, as I searched through images of honu (Hawaiin word for turtle), waves, plumeria, the case that stood out to me was the hibiscus. It was bold but beautiful, delicate but strong.

As is evident in the photo above, this case has suffered through much turmoil in the past year since I bought it. Yet it continues to symbolize joy and beauty. When I see the flowers on the back of my phone it reminds me of the Aloha carried around the world because we were blessed to call a small island in the Pacific Ocean our home.