About Me:

Aloha! I'm Wendy Kennar. I'm the mother of a seven-year-old son and a wife living in Los Angeles. I was a public school teacher for twelve years until a chronic medical condition made it necessary to leave my teaching career.

I've always been described as "quiet" - really, I'm just biting my tongue. I've got lots to say, and lots of thoughts to share, I just prefer to write them. That's the purpose of this blog. Each Wednesday, I post a personal essay offering my observations and thoughts.

A few fun facts about me: I've wanted to be a writer since second grade, when my teacher, Mrs. Jones, made me a "book" with a yellow construction paper cover. I have never learned to whistle, have always preferred sunflowers to roses, and have spent my life living within the same zip code.

Through the years, my writing has been published in the Los Angeles Times, Christian Science Monitor, United Teacher, GreenPrints, L.A. Parent, DivineCaroline.com, RoleReboot.org, XOJane, and Brain, Child Magazine. Additionally, my personal essays have been included in several anthologies, including: The Barefoot Review, Beyond the Diaper Bag, Lessons From My Parents, Write for Light, Being a Grown-Up: A User's Manual for the Real World, Ka-Pow!, How Writing Can Get You Through Tough Times, Breath and Shadow, The Grey Wolfe Storybook, and Sisters Born, Sisters Found.
I am a regular contributor at MomsLA.com, and you can also find me at Goodreads.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. Feel free to comment and share my blog with others!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Aloha!

I don’t know when I started saying “Aloha.”  I know it was long before I ever traveled to Hawaii.  For years, Hawaii intrigued me.  It ultimately became our honeymoon destination.  And Maui didn’t disappoint - fruit tasted like sunshine and spring rain in my mouth, rainbows graced the sky after a two-minute rain spell, whales danced off-shore, delighting us as we ate lunch.  Maui was natural beauty, in a way I had never observed before.
Our visit to Maui confirmed my strongly held opinion that “Aloha” was the best greeting.  “Aloha, this is Wendy” begins my voicemail.  Signs of “Aloha” adorn my home - above our kitchen door, above our front door, above our back door.  
I know that  “Aloha” can mean “hello” or “goodbye.”  But it’s more than that.  Aloha is a spirit, a feeling.  Aloha is a way of being, one I try to practice, one I wish onto others.
And like any good teacher, I went looking for more information.  A quick visit to the website “www.to-hawaii.com/aloha.php” provided me with some additional information.  The literal translation of aloha is the “breath of life.”  Aloha is a way of living, a practice of treating others with love and respect; the understanding that we must first begin by loving ourselves and then spreading that love to others.
The older I become, the more I realize I have very limited control over many things in my life.  I can’t control the price of gas, can’t control furlough days and pay cuts, and I can’t control the weather.  I can control how many scoops of ice cream I eat, the color of the flowers I plant on my patio, and the way I conduct myself with others.  So, I vow to do my best to spread the spirit of aloha, thinking good thoughts and sharing them with others.  
Aloha!

4 comments:

  1. Honey,

    I never knew that Aloha meant "breath of life"! That gives me a whole new perspective on our decorations around the house that say Aloha!!!

    You are a wonderful woman and writer!

    I Love You!

    Paul

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  2. You answering with "Aloha" and having it adorn your house is very fitting of you.I did not know the whole meaning of the word before reading this.Your writing is so inviting and moving.I am very proud of you and love you.
    love,mommy

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  3. Thanks for letting us all know the meaning! I just always took it for granted that Aloha was a greeting/parting word. As always, great work!!

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