Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 20, Number 1, 1 Ianuali 2003 — The spirit of giving an everyday thing [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The spirit of giving an everyday thing

Mn'm fi o

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By Claiie Hugfres, Dr. RH., R.D. Department of Health In old Hawai'i, the value of kōkua was routinely practiced withm communities and between families and friends. If the catch was good, the fisherman would send children scurrying to the highlands to share fīsh with family or elders who had limited access to fīsh. Often, the children would return with wood and other treasures from the highlands, or bring back messages of aloha and thanks. Wheii kalo was harvested and cooked family and friends always shared in the bounty. This was everyda; praclice. There was no expectation that the kindness would be returned immediately. Then, as now kōkua is a value that we hold dear. The Christmas season, just past, was a time to celebrate wilh family and friends with food, present and parties. During that time, we were also rermnded of the qualities of generosity, thoughtfulness and doing something for others. When I was a youngster, my parents and other members of the Waialua Hawaiian Civic Club would work together to make food baskets and wrap presents for fami lies whi experienced financial

hardships. The club members were discreet about researching ages and dress sizes of the children and the family composition. Then they gathered. bringing food, presents for the kids. some clothing and other necessities. Just before Christmas, the gifts were taken to the homes of selected families. I remember the excitement and planning that went into deciding on appropriate toys and clothes that would go with the food boxes. Watchmg quietly from the car, we could see the faces of the adults who answered the knoek on the door. It was great to see the look of puzzlement that quickly turned to eiimn cp ihpn hiinninpee

surpnse then happjness and appreciation.

"Have a Merry Christmas,'" was about all that > was ever said, with a handshake and smile. and awaj wo would go to another house Some of you probably have similar memo ries

Numerous stories aboul the value

of thoughtfulness and generosity are told all year long, but the holidays brought reality to those mo'olelo. In a mo'olelo about stinginess, two gods are said to have traveled around O'ahu, when they eame to the house of an elderly eouple in Kahana. They asked for water and a plaee to sleep that night

The old eouple said their house was too small

for the four of them and they claimed to have only enough

water for themselves to dnnk The gods left and

continued walking towards the oeean. Soon, they eame upon the home of another elderly eouple. The eouple called out and invited the strangers to eome into their home for food, as was the Hawaiian custom. The strangers were warmly greeted and treated hospitably. After the meal, they were given a nlaee to sleep. When they awak-

ened in the moming and asked for water, the old woman » apologized for their brackish water supply but welcomed the strangers to

share what they had. Later in the day. the two men thanked their hosts and left to eonūnue their journey.

When the stingy man went to his spring for water the next day, he found it had turned brackish, as if it were mixed with

seawater. In contrast, the hospitable man found fresh, sweet water in his spring that previously had been brackīsh. It is said that the springs remain

that way to this day. What we ean leam from this is that kindness and generosity at any time of year are never mi placed. ■