'A'ohe hua o ka mai'a i ka la ho'okahi

'A'ohe hua o ka mai'a i ka lā ho'okahi. Bananas do not fruit in a single day. A retort to an impatient person. I've been thinking alot about ahonui, patience. We've learned that ahonui literally means long breath and I'm sure we can agree that when our patience is being tried we tend to take long, deep breaths. I like this 'ōlelo no'eau because it paints a picture for us. We can imagine the mai'a, bananas growing. Indeed, mai'a does not fruit in one day. Instead, growth is a process. When we plant the mai'a tree we first have faith, a sincere belief that it will grow. We tend to it, we make sure it is nourished properly and we watch for the fruit to spring forth. Even when the fruit is visually seen, it takes time before it rippens and is ready for our eating pleasure. And so it is with life . . . Things don't happen over night. We have hopes and dreams, we set goals and we believe that it will happen. We set our course and we embark on our journey. Sometimes it takes longer than we expected. Sometimes there are detours on our path. And at times the destination can even change along the way. It is important for us to remember ahonui, patience and that we allow ourselves to learn life's lessons as we move along on our journey. The words of our kūpuna serve as a reminder to us and perhaps to those around us who may need a gentle reminder to be patient as the mai'a grows, blossoms and fruits.

Aloha nō, a hui hou!
~Luana