Please enjoy the stories and we encourage
you to add one of your own
ATEEKA
In the northern European winter, darkness descends upon the streets shortly after tea-time and the nights are long. The few hours of winter sunlight... Read more
Congressman Neil Abercrombie
For the better part of 10 hours the droning hum of the Pan Am propellers put me in a
state of drowsy indifference. Then, suddenly, my... Read more
Dawn Kawahara
Since making my home in Hawai`i on the island of Kaua`i 25 years ago,
there have been numerous instances of aloha that I could write about,... Read more
Gordon and Katherine Kekahuna
Lahaina New Life Church of God
It is awesome to live in Hawaii! People move here from all over the world to make a new life for... Read more
Cindy Beadles
ALOHA
The first time I felt the Aloha Spirit was stepping off the plane into the open-air airport in Honolulu. The smell of the plumeria trees and... Read more
Julie Yoneyama
It was the day after Christmas and I was at the commuter airport waiting for my flight back to Kapalua when the airlines announced that my flight had... Read more
Dana Takahara-Dias
LIVING ALOHA
By Dana Takahara-Dias
Success is a journey, not a destination and I have been fortunate to have had many journeys thus far in my... Read more
Jodee Kawena Mariko Haugh
What is Aloha? Aloha is more than a greeting. The spirit of Aloha is a way of life here in Hawai'i. As a kama'aina (local) born and raised in... Read more
Lani Medina Weigert
Growing up in Kailua, Oahu, I watched as our neighbors shared fish, mangos, chickens and whatever they had with one another. Money was tight but we... Read more
Uncle George Kahumoku Jr
Here's George Kahumoku's take on Aloha
Actually here's my take on practicing Aloha.
I was taught by My tutu Emily Lihue Hoopale Dulay that "Alo"... Read more
Kimokeo Kapahulehua
Often asked what is aloha; I was not taught of aloha it was what we all have within ourselves.
Aloha is spiritual and cultural amongst all of us.... Read more
Mufi Hannemann Mayor of Honolulu
Practicing Mahalo, Too
Mufi Hannemann
Mayor of Honolulu
One of my maxims of leadership is, “Practice the mahalo principle; thank someone... Read more
Nohelani Cypriano
Practicing Aloha
The first thing I thought of to express what Aloha means to me, was my Mom, Leina'ala Simerson. She was a long-time and respected... Read more
Jimmy Borges
For Me, Aloha Is: Every positive emotion within my heart reaching out and embracing another creature, thing or spirit. Aloha is when I’m singing... Read more
Lt Governor Duke Aiona
Aloha is a way of life. It is through the core values of forgiveness, humility, patience, responsibility, honesty, commitment and discipline that we... Read more
Carole Kai
"My mother was a young girl in the 1920's with 8 siblings.
They were living in the Kahalu'u Valley on O'ahu among the
Hawaiian families there who... Read more
Cecilio Rodriguez
My Practice Aloha Story:
Not long ago, I was driving into the parking lot of Aina Haina Shopping Center one evening to go visit the Korean Walk up... Read more
Lei'ohu Ryder
Aloha is the divine presence of our essence as the breath of spirit, the breath of
truth, the breath of our authenticity in the consciousness of... Read more
Chef DK Kodama
For me, “Aloha” has one simple definition – “Mom.”
My mother, Sandy Kodama, always was and always will be the embodiment of “Aloha.”... Read more
TRACEY HA'AO LAKAINAPALI
Practicing Aloha
When I was asked to articulate my mana’o on what Aloha means to me, I must admit I sat back from the computer, exhaled deeply... Read more
Roland and Robert Cazimero
What does Aloha mean to the Brothers Cazimero
(Roland’s lyrics to Some Call It Aloha)
Some Call It Aloha, We Call It Love
Some say it’s a... Read more
Ryan Burden
I’ve been fortunate enough to live on Maui for seven years now… and though I’ve only begun to understand a small part of what ancient... Read more
Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
Two thousand five hundred years ago, a man called Lau Tzu offered us one of the wisest books ever written, called “The Book of I Ching”, or... Read more
Pi'ilani
If you want to know Aloha, please, give yourself, but expect nothing in return. You give because you love and for no other reason.
Born and... Read more
Ried Kapo Ku
So, now with all this talk about aloha you might be expecting an “Alooooooooha!” Well, this homey don’t play that. See, that’s kind of a... Read more
Karen Bunzel
For me, Aloha is something you have within you. Aloha is sharing, caring, having respect for the 'aina. Aloha is giving without expectation, being... Read more
Richard Donner & Lauren Shuler Donner
" To us, Aloha means home."
Richard Donner & Lauren Shuler Donner
Tehani Kahaialii-Taulava
Aloha to me is unconditional; many things put together. It’s that sense of love and respect you have for your family, friends and even complete... Read more
bindu pomeroy
I am a middle school social studies teacher and move to the mountains last year. I also lived in Maui for a couple of years, so I was familiar with... Read more
Debra Casey
I updated my face book "status" saying that I was trying to come up with what the aloha spirit meant to me, just after getting the package from Mark... Read more
Chef Beverly Gannon
Practicing Aloha: The warmth of a meal prepared with love and passion. Cooking all day with family and friends cutting and chopping, stirring and... Read more
Jay Larrin
IN THE HARBORS OF HEAVEN
Here in these islands we live in the abandonment of time
We are blessed wit cooling forests and shadowed mountains
We... Read more
Jody Bergmann and Jimmy Wardle
The art of happiness is practicing aloha everyday.
david b. foellinger
Hear me Maui, island of aloha
Hear me Maui, island of my dreams
Sun and rainbows show the way to heaven
Radiant jewels rising from the... Read more
Frank De Lima
Aloha is a word with a feeling of kindness, understanding, joy, comfort, peace, goodness, patience, and love all wrapped up in a smile.
Frank
Mahealani Kuamo'o
Aunty Mahealani Kaiwikuamo’okekuaokalani-Henry
As a native Hawaiian Spiritual Kumu – teacher of Ho'opono Pono Ke Ala, the practice of “making... Read more
Mayor Charmaine Tavares
Practicing Aloha
As a child growing up on Maui, I learned early on the importance of
aloha in everyday life. Neighbors shared their harvest,... Read more
Hawai'i State Senator J. Kalani English
"Aloha is being surrounded by those you love
Being at home where you are
And being mindful of others."
- Hawai'i State Senator J. Kalani... Read more
Nalani Aki
On Labor Day in 1987, as I lay basking in the sun on a beach called Yokohama in Honolulu. I had a thought of doing something spontaneous. I went to... Read more
Beth Marcil
To practice aloha requires, I think, a level of awareness that embraces the the humanity of those we encounter in our day to day lives and allows us... Read more
Pono Fried
Submitted by Pono Fried,
Educator/Tour Guide/Musician/Farmer
Aloha has been best exemplified to me by the loving Kupuna with whom I've had the... Read more
Aunty Kahana
My experience whenever I dance hula is always a blessing to me...I had been dancing for many years when I had a stroke ten years ago. I went back to... Read more
Tom White of Longhis Restaurants
To me, Aloha is Love
Aloha,
Tom White
Bill and Chaney Countryman: Father Daughter
Aloha
Though I was born on Maui and lived my entire life on this island paradise, I’ve only begun to understand a small part of what ancient... Read more
Father Bill Albinger
What is often thought of as our Hawaiian Aloha - the friendliness, consideration and kindness - are actually just signs of a deeper grounding. These... Read more
Chef Chris Speere, Program Coordinator
Practicing Aloha #1
A student in our culinary arts program was making significant progress after struggling along for his first three semesters. The... Read more
Greg Kaufman, Executive Director of Pacific Whale Foundation
Whalewatching with “The Greatest”
Pacific Whale Foundation was founded in 1980, in Makena, Maui, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Our roots... Read more
Leslie Lyon
I grew up with the word Aloha; a light, happy word that sprang from the lips of entertainers in Waikiki or danced around school children during Aloha... Read more
Louise Rockett
A Tsunami is Coming
A tsunami is coming. A tsunami is coming.
My mother was obsessed with end of the world... Read more
Keola Beamer
My inherent understanding of the word “Aloha” came as a beautiful gift from my Hawaiian ‘ohana (family).
When we were very young, my mother,... Read more
Susan Moulton
To me, the feeling of Aloha is spread with a smile. Whether to a friend or stranger, the warm feeling you get from giving or receiving a smile is... Read more
Patrick Ching
I look forward to my first chance of the day to share aloha. Many of my neighbors have stress. I have stress. When we smile and say aloha in the... Read more
Tess Cartwright
Does one exist if there is no other? I believe most human beings have a deep hunger to know and be known, to love and be loved. Conceivably this... Read more
Senator Roz Baker
To me, the essence of the aloha spirit comes from the Hawaiian values embodied in the letters of the word “aloha” – akahai, lokahi, `olu`olu,... Read more
Carolyn Classen
I just saw a bumper sticker in town saying "Practice aloha".
In April and August of this year I blogged about spreading the "aloha spirit".
Here's... Read more
Georja Skinner
Flashback to Lahaina 1980, when my now ex-husband Paul and I took a leap of faith and moved to Maui. We moved away from our friends and family in... Read more
Chris Posadas
I had always visited Maui because my uncle had lived there for the last 20 plus years and I was always amazed at the beautiful way people treated one... Read more
Angel Melody Bode
My name is Angel Melody Bode, and I grew up on Maui, born and raised, and to me aloha means being friendly, having consideration for the beautiful... Read more
John Cruz
• Island Style •
Written by John Cruz
On the island, we do it island... Read more
Kahu Kapi’ioho’okalani Lyons Naone
From uli (that space in the center of the universe) comes the ha (spiritual breath), which is power and harmony in perfect balance. That ha comes... Read more
Mikel Mesh
Aloha is the first thing Mikel noticed when he moved to Maui in 1979. In fact, aloha seemed to be blooming everywhere back then as the fragrance of... Read more
Jack Fisher
The Native Hawaiians, the Kanaka Ma'oli, a people whose cultural identity is so closely tied to the ‘aina, whose living history and traditions are... Read more
Tom Moffatt
Practice Aloha with something very easy to give...a smile.
With Aloha, Tom Moffatt
Jairo Cardona
ALOHA!
Honoring a great Hawaiian Teacher
"Pilahi Paki"
By Jairo Cardona, LMT, NCBTMB, Lomi kumu teacher
“Do it now for there will be no... Read more
Bla Pahinui
Bla shares his aloha for Hawaii and its people through his music. His singing and playing convey great depths of emotion especially when singing... Read more
Rhonda Faleafine
To Share in the SPIRIT of Hawaii's CULTURE and WAY OF LIFE with each Kama'aina (Hawaii Native) and Malihini (Newcomer) that comes your way.
Kimo Falconer
Aloha and Ohana to me are synonymous. I am the prodigy of two vastly differing families with pioneering backgrounds. The word haunts me, "pioneer".... Read more
Ken Ballard
Aloha is Compassion, Love, Light, Harmony, Peace and Joy, all rolled into one.
Aloha is choosing Love in every moment, showing up and being... Read more
KONA
Growing up here in the beautiful state of Hawaii is really a blessing. I was born & raised in Waimanalo on the east side of O\\\'ahu and showing your... Read more
Barry Flanagan
For thousands of years, it is Aloha that has bonded all the different colors of Pacific Islanders to each other and which currently (we are happy to... Read more
Orion (Ori)
I have a dream to help create an ideal society on Maui, a first of its kind in the world. Having flown over a million miles in the last 15 years to... Read more
Words & Music by Eric Gilliom & Joel Clark Kira
Winters come .................................
The storms are blowing in again............
Summer fades to the sound of falling... Read more
Whitney Q. Stebbins
It's amazing that such a modest word can hold so much meaning.
I can easily recall so many ways that I witness aloha on a daily basis - from... Read more
Daryl a/k/a Dj Zinn
I was born in Detroit, Michigan. I lived there until I was 18, when I was 13 my parents got divorced and my Mom moved to California. I chose to stay... Read more
Bruce Wheeler
As with a lot of Hawaiian words, the word \"aloha\" has many meanings, all dependent on the context in which the word is used. Hawai\'i\'s last... Read more
Shep & Renée
Aloha is the generous spirit of the islands. It is the intangible, yet ever-present magic woven into the wind, the earth, the waters, and the... Read more
Michele & Todd Rundgren
When we were mainlanders, Aloha meant hello and goodbye. When we vacationed regularly on Kauai that changed. We started to feel Aloha with the... Read more
Jane and Robb Petty
Aloha from Robb and Jane Petty.
Robb and I are in Maui for five month of the year (winter) After the earthquake hit in Haiti we felt we wanted to... Read more
H.H.
We have an expression in our house…with our daughter… when we’re rushing anywhere… when we’re getting too worked up about anything we... Read more
Will & Sally Fox Herrera
Growing up in Northern California as the daughter of a college professor, we had the whole summer each year to travel. At a time when gasoline was... Read more
Jurg Munch,Chef Owner Lahaina Grill
When my wife and I moved to West Maui in 1997, I was surprised by the incredible generosity of the Lahaina community and the families who opened... Read more
Kolleen O'Flaherty Wheeler
My dear husband, Bruce, and I moved to Maui ne'i from San Francisco on the Ides of March, 1983, and we've considered ourselves “lucky come... Read more
Charlie Hyde
Ultimately, practicing aloha is practicing the Presence. It means to allow transparency in one's life such that one's spiritual essence flows through... Read more
Kabba
My son Ramoda has cerebral palsy, and is in a wheelchair. We moved to Maui from Kauai when he was two. We heard about a traditional Hawaiian healer... Read more
Chris Kaiwi
Aloha means “Caring or treating someone that way that you would like to be Cared for or treated.”
Doing it with a smile that is Genuine &... Read more
Danny Kaleikini
I believe that Aloha is the breath of life and love that we share with each other.
"Aloha ke Kahi. I ke Kahi" - Love one another.
Aloha ke Akua -... Read more
Harold & Gladys Kaniho
For 30+ years I lived an inactive life away from my religion. During those years a man by the name of Brother Manuel Mathias faithfully visited my... Read more
Willie Kahaialii, aka Willie K
The gift of breath is always thanked when awaken or asleep, though taken for granted we subdue its presence as an everyday duty. We pay no attention... Read more
Henry Kapono
“Aloha” is everything amazing. My Mom lived it. She was the best Cook in the World and she always had something cooking on the stove, whenever... Read more
Ray Masters
Aloha is much, much more than just a word, hello or goodbye.
It is a spiritual feeling that I get when I am home on the Islands.
It is the free... Read more
Peter Merriman
Its Christmas morning, 1989. I am at home in Puako on the Big Island. The phone rings and the voice on the other end begins introducing... Read more
Chef Ben Klein
Practice Aloha
Practice aloha or the practicing of aloha can have different meanings to everyone so I would like... Read more
Lola Milani
All peoples know Aloha.I was raised with shalom, my husband salaam. Love, greeting, welcome, honoring the devine within, inherent everywhere. ... Read more
Tom Moffatt
Practice Aloha with something very easy to give...a smile.
With Aloha, Tom Moffatt
Elisa Southard
Aloha—Welcome Home!
Elisa Southard
Aloha to me is a smooth transition. My husband Will and I have visited Maui seven times, each time... Read more
Al Nip
Aloha is letting a friend catch the best wave in the set. Aloha is visiting your mom and dad as much as possible and letting them know that you... Read more
Cindy Paulos
Rainbows bless these Islands...........
Where Heaven touches land..............
The Light that’s in the Peoples Eyes...
Shows love is in... Read more
Piero Resta
Aloha is the welcoming of breath; wishing our friends to partake in the gift of life. Breathing into each other, sharing a precious moment of... Read more
Emil Richards
A...mazing, L...ove, O...pens, H...eart, A...bundantly
The first time I heard about Hawaii is when I was 9 years old, in 1945. I was coming out of a... Read more
Brad Liko Rogers
Here is something about aloha that I learned from a kupuna who passed on a while back.
As I thought about the word "aloha" and what it meant to me,... Read more
Nikilani & Jade
I write this for my daughter, Nikilani, who is 13 years old with Special Needs.
Some of us are born with Aloha and some of us learn... Read more
Jim Sanders
Practicing Aloha is no worse than a piano student reaching for a new chord. It’s easy to get started and it won’t hurt a bit.
Try this; say... Read more
Gayle Selyem
regarding "Aloha" and I wrote a couple things down. What I would say in regards to the spirit of Aloha and what we learned is that those with the... Read more
Jake Shimabukuro
"Aloha is music, and music is good medicine. It brings people together, heals your soul, and inspires the world."
Andrea Smith
The combined energy of all the people of Hawaii creates a perfect harmony and plays a heavenly song.
Gratitude for being able to exist in a place... Read more
Matt Smith
"My mother taught me from a young age that there are two basic emotions; love and fear. It took me years to realize how true it was. You can either... Read more
Shirley Fong Torres
The first afternoon that my daughter Tina and I set foot in Hawaii in the summer of 1980, we both knew we would be returning time and again. Pleasure... Read more
Jim “Kimo” West
Aloha is the unconditional love and respect for our fellow man and for all living and non-living things. For our ancestors, our children, for air we... Read more
Robert Westphal
All love can't save you. Love can't save you.
Oh why cant love save you? How can't love save you? All love can save you.
Through persistent... Read more
Alan Wong
Aloha is a part of Hawaii. People around the world automatically think about Hawaii when they hear the word ‘aloha’, similar to how... Read more
Elan Vital
Aloha in its most basic form is the “breath of life”...otherwise known as ki, chi, prana, mana, life force or elan vital, the spark of life as... Read more
Lloyd Yokoyama
In this busy and hurried world that we live in, practicing Aloha is many times easier said than done. My company, Broke The Mouth Cookie Company,... Read more
Carmen Karady
Practice Yoga and you will discover your "Aloha" within...
Barbara Santos
I had my first taste of aloha in the Lahaina Foodland supermarket back in 1984. We are talking almost 25 years ago, mind you, yet I still remember... Read more
Chef James McDonald
Practicing Aloha
I remember coming to Hawaii in 1980 as a teenager and saying to myself, WOW! The moment I stepped off the plane I knew this was... Read more
Chef Sam Choy
"Simple...caring, love, happiness and most importantly living pono (living pure) everday of your life.
LISA CHAPPEL
PRACTICING ALOHA
is being, KIND, GIVING, CARING, SHARING, GRATEFUL, COMPASSIONATE, CHARITABLE, FORGIVING, LOVING & TO BE RESPECTFUL TO OUR BEAUTIFUL... Read more
Diane Epstein
I was making a cash deposit of $1,000.00 at First Hawaiian Bank in Pukalani. I had counted the money once before entering the bank but when I got to... Read more
Eunice Antosik
The use of flowers is my method of practicing Aloha. Presenting floral leis to visitors or homecoming friends and neighbors is my favorite way of... Read more
Mapuana Schneider
Aloha is simple, pure and uncomplicated. It is the beauty of living through your heart. It is far more than a gester or a greeting.
It is a way of... Read more
Kutmaster Spaz DJ Entertainer
I have traveled all of the world for my career as a DJ and I find the best part of the trip is coming home to the Hawaii. I always tell people that... Read more
Cecilia Bahena
I have been very fortunate to experience Aloha in many ways during my life. Recently, as I was driving down a road in Wailuku my car began to make... Read more
Richard Murphy
First, I think it would be important to point out what “Aloha” means – It has many, many definitions but the two most known and conversant are... Read more
John Severson
When I arrived in the Islands in the fifties, lei sellers would park their old trucks in strategic spots—and leave them. Every day they would... Read more
Peter Kelly
It is late afternoon and I am driving down US 82, the Jefferson Davis Highway, towards Montgomery, Alabama and I am singing “We Shall Overcome”,... Read more
Theo Morrison
Aloha is the spirit that binds humanity together. Aloha is the energy that allows us to go above and beyond to fulfill a shared vision. Aloha is the... Read more
Max Tsai
Max Tsai/TC Kokua
Born in Shanghai, growing up in the East Bay, traveling through East and West for a Silicon Valley semiconductor fabrication... Read more
Dario Campanile
Aloha,
A perfect example of practicing aloha that I experienced was five years ago at Little Beach in Maui. I was body surfing by myself and... Read more
Dennis Blevins
The Practice of Aloha can be from the smallest gesture of aloha to the largest. A simple act of aloha as holding a door open for someone you don’t... Read more
Walt G
To me, ALOHA is the ultimate positive vibe that you can display towards someone or carry as a daily attitude.
If true ALOHA is displayed by... Read more
John Kim, Postman and Athlete
Aloha is what we have in Hawaii & what we take & share with others as we go about in the world in which we live & travel.
Rob Shelton
On behalf of our dedicated Executive Director, Board of Directors and Committee members for the Lahainaluna High School Foundation, it is an honor to... Read more
Zariah
Practicing Aloha to me is simply following the golden rule: treating others as you would wish to be treated!
Jan Kitaguchi
A true meaning of "Aloha" that came from the heart was within the legacy of Uncle Jimmie Greig, the director and co-founder of the Lahainaluna High... Read more
Cynthia Conrad
When I first arrived in Hawaii in December of 1970, I realized I was in a place unlike any other. There was a young Hawaiian boy sitting on a wall... Read more
Jerry Labb
I feel most people, in general, are nice wherever I go on the planet. But here in Hawaii, when I walk by someone, I’ll get more smiles per mile... Read more
Ron Sambrano
Aloha is when someone comes along and helps you do a project, someone who is higher up than you in the social ranks, but humbles themselves to assist... Read more
Larry Feinberg
A smile is aloha. On Maui people acknowledge your presence with eye contact
and a smile. The warmth of a smile means aloha to me."
Mahalo,Larry... Read more
Steve Franz, Principal
Practice Aloha
Aloha is a spiritual term. Hawaiians are a spiritual people. I am a spiritual person. To me, aloha is Hawaii's version of the Golden... Read more
Chef Eric Leterc
I am Practicing Aloha trough the love and the respect of the people & culture. I practice Aloha on Daily basis by making people happy through the... Read more
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Sandy Ayeroff
Sandy Ayeroff's art is inspired by Maui and allows her free spirit to capture its beauty manifesting in an array of many different colors and... Read more
Tom Moffatt
Practice Aloha with something very easy to give...a smile.
With Aloha, Tom Moffatt