Perseverance

Welina me ke aloha e nā hoa pepeiao! He momi kēia. Nā keiki uneune māmane o Kula. The lads of Kula, Maui who tug and pull the māmane up by the roots. This ʻōlelo noʻeau is an expression of admiration for the people of Kula who accomplished whatever they set out to do. Imagine pulling up a māmane tree, digging down into the earth to the deep roots and then tugging and pulling until the entire tree was uprooted. This takes effort, even greater effort than just cutting the tree down. It required perseverance and commitment to finishing the task, no matter how hard it got. When we think of the people of Kula we think of kua ʻāina, the term used for those who worked the land, those who worked hard in the hot sun and at times the pouring rain. Kua means back and ʻāina means land, so literally this term means back to the land and paints a picture of makaʻāinana bending over at the back and working tirelessly. The people of Kula were this way. Hard workers, diligent in their efforts and focused on accomplishing the tasks set before them. It is a great reminder to us today that we, too, must be firm and steadfast and learn to persevere. We must tug, pull and press forward with our eye on the prize, whatever that prize may be. So many times in today`s world we seem to give up too easily. May we all be like Nā keiki uneune māmane o Kula, the lads of Kula who exemplified the qualities of perseverance and longsuffering, for the reward that lies ahead is great. Aloha nō, a hui hou. CLICK HERE to listen to and download the Morning Manaʻo Podcast.