Aloha Hawaii

163 Honolulu Airport, Oahu, Hawaii, 4-10-10

Aloha means hello, goodbye and love. How can one word mean so much and apply to so many situations?

The plane landed on the same tarmac that I first met my husband almost 26 years ago to the day. He was a pilot of a 9 seat airplane and I was his passenger. The weight and balance of the aircraft usually had me sit seat 9 (in the back) because in those days I wasn't sporting the 10 extra pounds I have now and I was relatively tiny compared to the oversized local travelers. :) (I love typing that)...

At the base of the stairs getting on the plane, the pilot informed me to take seat number 1. ??? Ecstatic and giggly, I bounce forward to my position and for the rest of the flight excitedly peered out the window. Every once in a while, the pilot would poke my shoulder and inquire if I surfed, golfed, played cards, watched football...All of which I said shortly, but nicely, "No". Finally, he stopped asking questions and allowed me to enjoy the seat and sights I had never till this day been given rights to.

As we were all deplaning, the pilot made his final announcement, "Mahalo (thank you) and Aloha---Welcome to Molokai". Exiting the plane, the pilot reached out to shake my hand, pulled me closer to him and asked one last question, "Do you eat"? :) Smiling and still holding his hand, I looked into his eyes and knew instantly, he was my aloha! That pilot, my husband now of 25 years provided me the true meaning of the word, aloha. It's good to be home, Aloha Hawaii!