A Part of Who I Am

   One of my favorite things to do is look for "treasures" at the thrift store.  You know, those things that you don't need but enrich your life.  ;)  I am always on the lookout for good Hawaiian music and am thrilled when I find it.  Yesterday, while looking through a stack of CDs that had yet to be shelved, I found this amazing Brothers Cazimero CD in like new condition.  I quickly picked it up, thanked God (yes, I thank God for putting it in my path) and showed it to my husband.  He looked at me and said "That's great, it's a part of who you are!"

   My hubby is right, Hawaiian music is a part of who I am.  It soothes my soul and takes me back to my childhood.  I grew up listening to the artists above and to many other wonderful Hawaiian musicians.  I danced hula and Tahitian.  I attended concerts.  My memories are filled with gentle ocean breezes blowing as the sun sets and the sounds of the musicians at the resort my father managed playing guitar and ukulele and singing beautiful songs that tell the stories of my island home.  They are filled with golden days at the beach, playing in the surf and listening to C and K.  I can still hear the drumbeats from the luaus at night.  My mind also wanders to my Polynesian Music and Dance class in high school where I again learned more hula and enjoyed dancing with friends.

   When life gets stressful, I reach out for my childhood music.  It transports me back to a time and place that calms me.  It reminds me of how I used to go to the beach to clear my head and wash the troubles of the world away.  There is nothing like sitting on the warm sand watching and listening to the sounds of the ocean.  That is what Hawaiian music does for me.  It is a part of who I am.