I’ll say it in Hawaiian — “Mele Kalikimaka”, since I am currently home for the holidays visiting my 92 year old mother in her rural village, and my 27 year old son who lives on the same island. I have lots of other relatives here in Hawaii and may be seeing some of them as well.

May your holidays be filled with fun, family fellowship, and friendship.

Thanks to our Tucsoncitizen.com loyal readers who keep coming back to our website for “news, information, commentary, opinion & perspective”.

Looking forward to 2013 as a new year filled with hope, peace and love. Happy New Year next week, and keep spreading that “aloha spirit” into the new year. And if you’re unsure what exactly qualifies as “aloha spirit”, read one of my previous posts “Do you Practice Aloha?” (click here).

If you’re lucky enough to be in love this Valentine’s Day, express it in the Hawaiian way, by spreading a bit of “aloha” through our “aloha spirit”. What does that mean?

“Aloha” is the Hawaiian word for love (and hello & goodbye), but we use it to express actions “me ke aloha” (with love, caring).

So “aloha spirit” is our local Hawaiian way of extending kindness & caring — without expecting anything back. Lots of people practice it back home on all of the 8 main islands…Oahu (where the Capital city of Honolulu is located), Hawaii Island where I am from, Kauai & Maui (islands I worked on), Molokai, Lanai, and the 2 smallest isles Niihau & Kahoolawe (both off limits to tourism).

Once I rented a car back home in Hawaii & was worried on the last day that the car was a bit too dirty to return without washing off some of the mud that had accumulated on it. (Rains a lot on the Big Island of Hawaii). So I asked a woman operating a lunch wagon for some water. She didn’t have any to give me in a cup, but handed me a bottle of water, free of charge. I thanked her and used the bottled water to wash off the car with my hands. Then I ran back to her wagon & left her a $1 tip in the jar and said “mahalo” (thanks) for her “aloha spirit.”

And I’ve written this before (which many of you may not believe) but on Hawaii Island, if you get in a traffic jam, it’s bad form to honk your horn — it’s not polite, just not the “aloha way” of doing things.

Last week here in Tucson, while riding the Sun Tran bus, I observed several riders assist a blind rider who needed to be informed when his stop was imminent. And later I overheard another rider giving his $3.50 day pass to someone else to use again, since he was done riding for the day and it was only about 12 noon. Now that’s spreading “aloha”.

So today, Valentine’s Day, how about practicing a little bit of “aloha” by spreading some of your caring to others in Southern Arizona?

The Hawaiian group Mana’o Company sang this popular “Spread a Little Aloha” song:

Let me know if anything interesting happens — in the comment section below. Random acts of kindness definitely qualify.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

And Happy Birthday to the State of Arizona, turning 100 today.

There I was waiting for my smoothie order at a fast food restaurant (starting with the large letter “M”) on Campbell Avenue in central Tucson when I happened to pick up a free news publication lying on the counter. It was the Spring 2011 Volume 1, issue 1 of The Arizona Grillzette, published by a company in town called Arizona Grill & Hearth.

But the amazing message was not on the front page (articles about BBQ Paradise, grilling steaks and a cool beverage), but on page 2, an article entitled “Working Together in The Spirit of Aloha” (with a photo of coral stones spelling out the word “ALOHA”, on a lava bed). Now that resonated with me, a “local girl” born & raised on the Big Island, and here are well-written excerpts from that article:

“The literal meaning of aloha is “the presence of breath” or “the breath of life.” It comes from “Alo” meaning presence, front and face, and “ha” meaning breath. Aloha is a way of living and treating each other wth love and respect. Its deep meaning starts by teaching ourselves to love our own beings first and afterwards to spread the love to others.”

It goes on to say “Aloha is living in harmony. When you live with the Spirit of Aloha, you create positive feelings and thoughts, which are never gone… “Aloha” means mutual regard and affection and extends warmth in caring with no obligation in return”… “Aloha
is the essence of relationships in which each person is important to every other person for collective existence.”

Wow, the person who wrote this must be Hawaiian or from Hawaii, but there was no by-line to the article. Who was this mysterious person who wrote this message?

I found this message timely for me, as I seem to have forgotten a bit of the “aloha spirit” which I grew up with in Hawaii, especially when working with U.S. Mainlanders and living here for years in Arizona.

So this article made me reflect again on what aloha means to me, and how to keep spreading it here in the SW desert. Mahalo nui loa (thanks very much) to AZ Grill & Hearth for the uplifting, meaningful message today.

Here’s my previous blog about “practicing aloha” (click here).

The rest of the publication (8 pages) is all about grilling, barbeques, recipes (even for grilled tilapia), with ads by various local businesses.

More info contact Arizona Grill & Hearth at 520-623-0924, 2600 N. Stone Avenue 85705, www.azgrillnhearth.com.

And keep spreading that “aloha spirit.”

A friend of theirs is having a car wash outside their restaurant on Saturday April 2, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. so please stop by if you can help, or if you need your car washed. Address is 2532 S. Harrison Rd., 85748-8137, phone # is (520) 886-5828.

They also welcome checks (of any amount) mailed to their address if you can’t stop by & eat a delicious Hawaiian plate lunch (or spam musubi if you dare. Try it, it’s a local favorite.)

Here’s a photo of Leilani (Lani) and Zane from our Tucson Citizen archive:

Lani and Zane at Lani's Luau restaurant

Lani grew up on the same tropical island as me (Hawaii Island aka “The Big Island”), over on the Kona side. She and her husband exhibit a lot of the “aloha spirit” of Hawaii.

Please kokua (help).

book cover

I also wrote 3 online blogs about “living aloha” in our everyday lives (two were entitled “Spread a Little Aloha”, 4/11/08, and “Aloha Spirit update”, 8/14/08). The third blog was reprinted in a book just released entitled “Practice Aloha – Secrets to Living Life Hawaiian style” compiled & edited by Maui resident Mark Ellman and ex-Maui resident Barbara Santos.

Hundreds of people contributed their take on the meaning of aloha, the aloha spirit, or what it means to practice aloha. The book is also described as “Stories, Recipes, Lyrics from Hawai’i's Favorite Folks”.

“We believe our stories will fill the world with aloha, at a time when we need to Practice Aloha more than ever.” (quote from the editors)

My short one-page contribution on page 156 is called “Aloha Around Town” (originally published online in the Tucson Citizen on December 11, 2008, then entitled “Practice aloha”). My simple blog shares company with inspiring, heartfelt stories from famous Hawaiian personalities such as Keola Beamer, Robert & Roland Cazimero, Sam Choy, Frank DeLima, Jake Shimabukuro, Maui Mayor Charmaine Tavares, former Honolulu mayor Mufi Hannemann, and current Gubernatorial candidate & former Congressman Neil Abercrombie, and lots and lots of others.

One of my favorite contributions in this book is by Oahu photographer Pi’ilani Schneider who says that “If you want to know aloha, please, give it yourself, but expect nothing in return.” (excerpt from her “Aloha is Love” piece on page 68)

By the way, I did not submit my blog to these authors for publication, they found me by googling online. And all because someone had put their “practice aloha” bumper sticker (shown below) on a car here in Tucson, and I noticed it for a blog subject.

All the contributors share the same love for Hawai’i (many having been born & raised there like me) and the belief in doing our part to spread a little aloha spirit, to make this world a better and friendlier place.

You can get this book (now with free shipping) at www.practicealoha.org. The publisher is Mutual Publishing in Honolulu. You can also order the “practice aloha” bumper sticker at the same website for only $2. (On the Big Island of Hawaii, the visitor’s bureau gives out “Live aloha” bumper stickers designed by local Hilo artist Sig Zane.)