Thanksgiving Blessings to All

     Thanksgiving always reminds me to remember all the things I am thankful for and to count all my blessings. Even in paradise, we stop to take time to count our blessings. So here is my short list of things I am thankful for.

     I am thankful for our men and women in the service so I can enjoy my freedom every day.

     I am thankful for the cooling ocean breeze on my face on a hot, sunny day.

     I am thankful for the warm sun that shines almost every day here.

     I am thankful I don’t have to shovel snow to go to work in the morning.

     I am thankful for the sound the waves make on a calm day at the ocean. It is such a calming sound. I can sit by the ocean and list to the waves, feel the warm sun on my face and all my worries just disappear. The waves remind me that the ocean was lapping at the shore long before I appeared on the earth and will be here long after I am gone. It makes my cares and worries seem so small and insignificant!

     I am thankful for the view from the top of Haleakala. It reminds me that I am just a tiny, tiny part of the universe. The universe that is so full of wonders for me to see and explore.  The sight of the clouds pouring over the side of the crater in the early afternoon is one of the most awe inspiring sights. To look around from my vantage point high on the mountain top and look down on the clouds below and the ocean even further below is absolutely magical. It is a spiritual experience for me. I hope your year has had spiritual experiences.

     I am thankful for the time to spend watching the sun rise and set everyday. Just a few quite moments spent just filling my soul with quiet beauty.

     I am thankful for sweet, cold shave ice. Some of us never gown up!

     I am thankful for sharing a meal with good friends. Time to get together and share a laugh and friendship can be hard in these busy days. When did we get too busy to enjoy times with friends, just because it is a Tuesday? We really don’t need to wait for a birthday, or a holiday, or some other special occasion.

     I am thankful for the sound that the palm trees make when the trade winds give them a rustle.

     I am thankful for the kapunas that are working to revive some of the parts of Hawaii that were almost lost forever. I am grateful for the resurgence of the Hawaiian language. I am thankful for the interest in crafts from long ago. I am thankful that some of the ancient sites are being restored.

     I am always thankful for the times I get to see the awesome power of a volcano.

     I am grateful for the times when I am on the warm beach on the Big Island of Hawaii and look to the top of Mauna Kea and see snow. It is a strange and wonderful dichotomy.

     I am thankful for the view from Waimea Canyon on Kauai. It serves as a reminder of the awesome power that just one small act can have if done repeatedly.

     I am thankful for the Hawaiian plate lunch. No explanation needed for this one.

     I am thankful for the view from the Pali on Oahu. I love the drive up to the Pali and the view from the lookout.

     I am thankful for sunny days at Hanauma Bay. I love the view from the parking lot, I love the view from the shore, I love the view when I am out snorkeling. I just love Hanauma Bay!

     I am thankful for Portuguese sausage.

     I am thankful for malasadas.

     I am thankful for all the fresh tropical fruit and vegetables. I love going to the farmers market and picking my own fresh produce, that is as fresh as it can be. What a blessing.

     I am thankful for the bounty of the ocean. Fresh fish, exquisite sushi and sashimi fresh from the ocean is a gift.

     Most of all I am thankful for family and friends. That includes my new ohana, you the readers of this blog. May I say sincerely: Hau’oli La Ho’omakika’i or Happy Thanksgiving!