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| Theresa Bigbie. Photo: Lisa Asato |
Why I placed my name
A wise man said recently, “Learn from the past, live in the present and prepare for the future.” Our ancestors left us a legacy of faith and hard work as they approached life's challenges and opportunities.
Grandma Emma Makahano-hano Kalama was such a woman. She and Grandpa Samuel Kaaumoana Kalama, who died when still a young father, left a heritage based upon these same principles, now passed on to each succeeding generation. As a widow, she and her family planted a garden, raised animals, prepared and stored food, ran a trucking business on the island of Moloka'i, and with faith and hard work trusted that God would make up the difference. Being prepared paid off when during the war years her family would not be among those standing in the long food lines so prevalent then. She encouraged learning and sacrificed her resources to support her family's need to look ahead.
Why did I place my name? Because I believe that these very principles are inherent in each and every Hawaiian. We are a people of faith. We are a people who care about each other. It is who we are. Kau Inoa can be a process to unify us in the present, and prepare us for the future as we learn from the past. Anchored in faith, it is worthy of our best efforts.
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