Dia de los Muertos.

In honor of Dia de los Muertos today, I'd like to share an experience I had a couple months ago.
One morning, before work, I was scrolling through Facebook and came across a story a friend's niece had written for the Friend Magazine.  It was a sweet little story about two little girls who wondered what happened to their great-grandmother who had recently passed away.  They wondered if she was happy and with her loved ones.
On the way to work, as I was traveling on the freeway, the cars in front of me suddenly came to a screeching halt! The car directly in front of me stopped so fast that he swerved out of the lane to avoid the car in front of him.  I've never hit my brakes so hard before! I was already envisioning the aftermath.  To go from 70 mph to 0, in a couple seconds, can be a bit jarring. Luckily, by the grace of God, I was able to brake in time without any damages!  However, I was so shaken up because this situation could have ended A LOT worse!! I started crying because in an instance, I could have literally died and left my sweetheart and all my loved ones. I started to think back to that Friend story, and I thought about who would have greeted me in Heaven.
I thought about my maternal grandparents, Kuku & Tutu. 

 It's been about 12 years since I last saw them alive. I miss them. I wish I could hear them speak to each other in Hawaiian.  I wish I could kneel at my bedside with them every night and sit along side of them every morning, as they held hands, and prayed. I wish I could play the card game, "Speed" with my Tutu again.  I miss them so much and think about them often.  I look forward to the day that I'm reunited with them.

I thought about my Grandma Salote, my Dad's Mom that I'm named after.
Unfortunately, I never met her.  I can't say I've ever really talked to her.   She didn't speak English and I don't really speak Tongan.  I remember hearing her voice on long distant phone calls, as my Dad translated our conversation. My Dad told me that while she was alive, she would go around her village and share my photo with everyone she knew. She would tell her friends all about me.  As I look at her photo, I can see my Dad's face.  She passed away on a Sunday morning, in late September 1997.  I thought about what it would be like to meet her in Heaven.  I would hug her and hope that she would embrace me like we've known each other for a very long time.  I hope she has a nice view over me, from Heaven.


The next person I thought about was Levi's Mom who passed away a little over two years ago.

 Unfortunately, I never had the chance to meet her.  I would go up to her and tell her how Levi has been.  I would update her on her family.  Most of all, I would thank her for raising a very good son who makes me tremendously happy.  I would share my appreciation of teaching him not to judge, one of the first things Levi shared with me, about her.

I thought about my Uncle Ned, my Uncle Walter Wolfgramm, my Uncle Walter Fernandez, my Uncle Eddie & Auntie Moana, my dear friend Ana, Sister Donna Parke & Sister Joyce Sabine.  It consoled me to know that if and when the day comes for me to be "taken home to that God who gave them life", I know that there will be a joyous reunion of dear loved ones who have passed on before.  Until then, I will hold them in my heart and fondly remember them, most especially this weekend on Dia de los Muertos.  Aloha 'Oe.