Monday, November 22, 2010

AloHA!

This time last year I had the experience to be in a woman's choir directed by the amazing Merrilee Webb. My sister talked me into it and it was a life changing/attitude altering experience for me. The first thing Merrilee shares with you is her story from living in Hawaii and about the Hawaii people's "HA" or breath of life (life energy) and the whole spirit behind the AloHA or the Aloha Spirit.  So when the Hawaii people say AloHA they are breathing life into you.  Merrilee's whole goal is to teach you how to make a difference everywhere you go by your attitude and how you present yourself - to smile to give energy off to the people around you and create friendships and wonderful relationships. It was inspiring and like I said life changing. She has such wonderful stories and she makes you laugh and cry in the same five minutes. I loved my experiences in that choir last year. We were the choir that sang on the day after Thanksgiving on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah last year when they lit up the square with Christmas lights and it was awesome. We all made Hawaiian lei's to wear around our necks and the Christmas music we sang was just beautiful.  We would do a Hawaiian chant at the beginning of all our rehearsals that I will play back on the CD sometimes when I am feeling down just to remember that experience and to remember what the chant meant. Here is the chant and it's interpretation:

HIKI MAI E NA PUA I KA LA’IE
COME FORWARD AND APPEAR YOU PRECIOUS FLOWERS ARISING IN THE
CALMNESS OF THIS SPECIAL DAY
KE PI’I A’E LA KA MAUNA KI’EKI’E
EACH OF YOU ARE TAKING UP THE CHALLENGE OF NOT SIMPLY CLIMBING
A HIGH MOUNTAIN BUT YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO CLIMB THE HIGHEST AND
MOST MAJESTIC MOUNTAIN OF ALL
HA’A MAI NA KAMA ME KA MAKUA
DANCE FORWARD YOU CHILDREN OF YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER
HE WEHI PULAMA A’O KE KUPUNA
FOR IS IT NOT SO THAT YOU OUR CHILDREN ARE SO VERY PRECIOUS, IN
FACT, YOU ARE THE MOST PRECIOUS ADORNMENT WORN AROUND THE
NECK OF YOUR ANCESTORS
E KA’I MAI ANA E KA’I MAI ANA
COME FORWARD COME FORWARD FOR THERE ARE MANY ROADS FOR
YOU TO CHOOSE…
E HAHAI I KA LEO O KA HAKU E
BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE VOICE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD, FOR HE WILL
ALWAYS KEEP YOU, PROTECT YOU, AND SHOW YOU THE WAY.

So when I am in a bad mood I think of the difference one smile, one AloHA can make to someone and I think of the wonderful spirit I felt at every rehearsal in that choir and it puts me in a good mood. So aloHA... go and breathe energy or life into someone.

Monday, November 15, 2010

High Five

I love the act of the High Five. It is such a positive thing.  From infancy you are taught how to give a "high five".  One of the reasons I love them so much is because they can almost never be negative. You would never say to a friend "I am having the worst day ever - please give me a high five" - it just doesn't work. The act of the "High Five" dates back centuries I am sure but for my life "high-fives" have meant a million different things. I remember playing that game when I was little with high fives, you know the one...."Up high, on the side, down low - too slow...etc.." and laughing hard at tricking people. I love watching and playing this game with my kids now. Pure joy. Then as I grew up a little I played sports, so high fives on the field or court or wherever usually meant encouragement to do a good job or to actually say "good job - you did something great".  I would make up 'high-five secret handshakes" with my friends that would include all sorts of high five-ing and cool things that would make me feel like I had something special with people. Then as I started dating the joke would come about of "high-five-ing" on the porch after dates. And I still remember the high five with the lingering hand hold I gave my husband before he left for two years to serve our church.  My husband loves high fives and always has. He would give high fives to everyone in a room when he was leaving and made every person feel special. I see him giving them to my son when he plays basketball with him and I saw him give them to his High School students all the time for encouragement and praise.  How can someone not feel special if you give them a high five? How can you not feel special for giving one out? So next time you are feeling down just ask the next person you see to give you a high five or make up a secret high five handshake with a friend or even play the "down low too slow" game with someone. I love high fives. They are sure to put you in a good mood.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Swinging

I have always loved to swing whether on the playground or on the dance floor - swinging is one of my favorite things to do.  As fate would have it, this is also one of my daughter's favorite things too.  I try to avoid playgrounds with swings because if there are swings that is all she will want to do is be pushed the entire time we are at the park.  It will be a great day when she learns to pump her legs, but until then I push and I push and I push. There could be a rollar-coaster or ferris-wheel at the park, but all she will want to do is have me give her "under-doggies" on the swings. At my elementary school growing up there was these type of swings where you had handlebars you pulled with your arms rather then having to pump with your feet. I think they were designed for handicapped kids. As kids however, we would get one kid on back one on front and one sitting on the seat and we would get going so high and I would love that feeling. Of course, eventually, they were taken out and replaced by something safer - but every recess would bring pure joy and fear as I prepared to board those swings with my friends. I loved them.  So the other day I finally found a park near my new home and of course all my daughter wanted was to swing. So I start to push her and I start to enjoy giving her under-doggie after under-doggie and to tickle her when she swings my way. To see the joy I remembered reflected in her eyes was something special. However, I then realized that my swinging days are not over, I climbed on a swing myself and started pumping and pumping until I was flying very high. I would put my head back and swing down and after the nausea wore off I remembered what it was like to be a child and to swing and that feeling of fear and joy you get on swings. I get that feeling now that I am a grown-up but it usually comes from seeing if checks I write will clear the bank. :) So to feel that innocent joy again put me in a good mood for a really long time. So if you're having a bad day - go find a park and either push your kids on a swing with a few under-doggies or climb on one yourself, let go and remember the feeling of pure joy.