Aloha ‘oe, Art

What a year it has been without Art. At the end of April, 15 of us from California, Seattle, Boston and Hawaii met up in Kauai to honor Art’s final wishes to be released in the waters of Hanalei Bay, a location he always enjoyed with family. There had been rain the weeks prior, so we were uncertain whether we would be able to kayak from the river to the bay, but after many prayers, praise God for the clear and sunny weather! We commissioned a local lei artist to make pu’olos (traditional Hawaiian ti-leaf wrapped bundles) with Art’s remains for us to release into the ocean; we even scattered some of his remains on a golf course where he had golfed. It was a beautiful way to honor his wishes and such a memorable time sharing the places and foods that Art enjoyed with family.

I feel like I’ve been part of an ongoing relay race – I’m not running the race, but others keep passing the baton to the next person coming alongside me. I continue to experience the Lord taking care of me by having so many of you share meals with me, go on walks with me, drive me to places, fill my tires with air, go with me when I sold my car, include me in your family activities, send texts, spend the night, and so much more. There aren’t enough words to express my gratitude. You are my mountains; thank you for surrounding me with your love and care, now and forevermore. 

“As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore.” Psalms 125:2