This week felt like a gentle reminder that healing rarely happens all at once. It happens in ordinary moments that slowly reshape how we see ourselves and the world around us.

We spent Sunday bodyboarding for the very first time as a family. None of us knew exactly what we were doing, but maybe that's the point. There is something freeing about being a beginner again. You don't have to perform or be good at it. You simply show up, laugh when the waves knock you over, and try again.

Moving to Hawaiʻi has given me more opportunities to experience that feeling of starting over. It has been uncomfortable, humbling, and healing all at the same time.

This week was also our first time having June 11th off to honor King Kamehameha Day. As someone still learning about the history and culture of these islands, I feel grateful for moments that encourage me to slow down and understand the deeper stories that shape this place.

Another milestone this week was for our daughter. At just four years old, she now wears glasses.

She inherited nearsightedness from both my husband and me, and while a part of my heart was sad that she has to experience this so young, another part of me felt grateful. We were able to catch it early, support her vision, and hopefully slow the progression of her myopia. The best part was finding yellow frames, her favorite color. She put them on and smiled. Sometimes love looks like doctor's appointments, researching treatment options, and searching for the perfect pair of yellow glasses to help a little girl feel confident.

Recently, I came across a quote that has stayed with me:

Happiness lives in three places: letting go of what was, enjoying what is, and trusting what will be.

It sounds beautiful, but it also feels easier said than done.

How do you trust what you cannot see? How do you let go when parts of you still want to hold on?

I read another reflection that said happiness is not found in one moment or one achievement. It comes from how we relate to time.

Letting go of the past prevents regret from controlling the present
Enjoying what is allows us to experience life instead of rushing through it
Trusting what will be reduces fear of the unknown

It creates a quiet sense of alignment with where we are and where we are going. Those words met me exactly where I am.

Another teacher in this season has been the work of Vex King. One of his recent reminders was that life becomes more peaceful when we stop stressing over what is beyond our control and focus on what we can actually change.

Peace lives in the space where we meet life as it is. Stay rooted in who you are. Stay devoted to your evolution. Let go of everything that isn't yours to carry.

I had a small but meaningful reminder of that this week while driving. I let another car merge in front of me and followed the unofficial zipper merge rhythm I've been learning here. The passenger rolled down the window and gave me my very first shaka. It was such a simple moment of a stranger acknowledging another stranger with kindness. The aloha spirit is often described in big ways, but I think it also lives in these tiny interactions that remind us we belong to one another. I choose to see the good in people whenever I can while continuing to learn how I can contribute and serve as someone who is still new to this island.

This week, my husband also volunteered through work with HUGS, a nonprofit that supports Hawaiʻi families whose children have been diagnosed with life threatening illnesses. Reading about their mission and watching their family stories brought me to tears.

My husband shared with one of the organizers that he could relate because our daughter experienced multiple seizures last year. We now give her medication every morning and evening and continue annual EEG monitoring. When your child is in the emergency room, when you're waiting for MRI results, when you're meeting with specialists, life becomes a blur.

You realize how fragile everything really is. I think that experience changed us more than I understood at the time.

It made us question the pace we were living, wonder what we were waiting for, and made us want to create a life where we could slow down, be more present, and enjoy the ordinary moments while we have them.

Life is precious and none of us know how much time we have left. As I reflected on quotes about healing, grieving, and growing this week, I asked ChatGPT to help me notice the common themes that kept appearing. Here is what I am learning:

Let Go of What Was

Honor what existed without requiring it to still exist. I can love what was and still move forward.

Be Present Instead of Rushing

The ordinary moments are not distractions from life, they are life.

Trust the Future Without Controlling It

Focus on what you can change and let the rest be. Reflect on your values, boundaries, healing, and responses.

Meet the Parts of Yourself That Survived

Many of us are still living from old survival strategies like the achiever, hustler, and people pleaser. We can thank those parts for protecting us without letting them drive our lives anymore.

Acceptance Is Not Giving Up

Acceptance is seeing reality clearly so you can choose your next step wisely. I'm beginning to believe that grieving and growing are not opposites.

Grieving is honoring what you loved.
Growing is trusting that who you are becoming can hold both joy and sorrow at the same time.

Maybe that is what Becoming Aloha means for me to become more fully present to the life that is already here.

Journal Prompt

What is one thing you are ready to let go of, one ordinary moment you want to fully enjoy, and one part of your future you can choose to trust without needing to control?

Write about what each of those would look like if you approached them with a little more compassion and a little less fear.

Letting Go, Being Present, and Trusting What Comes Next