🌿 Week 4: Pono (Balance, Harmony, Living in right relationship)
Balance isn't about doing more — it's about moving through the day with intention. This week, my focus was: "What would be the pono choice?"
Monday I was feeling better and had a day full of appointments: Walgreens for a booster vaccine, Zoom call to get some help with one of my sabbatical projects, library workshop on a new (to me) citation software, and pickleball! It was a full, fun day.
Monday pickleball pals chalking lines so we can play!
Tuesday, I decided to do some sightseeing! I did a tour of the ʻIolani Palace and then a walking tour of Honolulu. Well, half of the walking tour. I started to feel my energy decline and went home after a couple hours of walking. I took too many pictures, but here are a few:
ʻIolani Palace
After the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy (1893), the palace served as the government headquarters and much of the palace furnishings and artifacts were sold or disappeared. It has been fully restored after decades of research and construction. (Virtual Tour of ‘Iolani Palace)
Grand staircase
The wood is all original, carved from Hawaiian koa wood with walnut accents.
The carpet was recreated from old photographs.
Throne Room
In the center is a "kapu stick" (pūloʻuloʻu), a sacred staff used to establish a protected area around Hawaiian royalty. During his 1883 coronation, King Kalākaua was gifted this pūloʻuloʻu made from a 7-foot narwhal tusk
In the center is a "kapu stick" (pūloʻuloʻu), a sacred staff used to establish a protected area around Hawaiian royalty. During his 1883 coronation, King Kalākaua was gifted this pūloʻuloʻu made from a 7-foot narwhal tusk
I took several pictures of various trees because they beckoned me.
The first of the many buildings on my walking tour
The Ali‘iolani Hale (House of the Heavenly Kings) was built in 1872, with coral used as its foundation (coral reef mining is now outlawed because of its devastating effect on the environment). It is currently home to Hawaii's Supreme Court, but may look familiar as the headquarters of "Hawaii Five-O."
The 18-foot bronze statue in the front is of King Kamehameha.
I got my first Critical Essay back, graded with such thorough and thoughtful feedback that it made me question and rethink the cursory grading feedback I give my students! 😬
In this graduate course, students have the opportunity to revise assignments, so I took notes on all of the feedback on my paper's shortcomings so that I can grow my skills. I spent the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday resting and revising. I learned a lot and am thankful for the opportunity to improve.
Daryl and I have been taking our evening sunset walks together — virtually. It's fun to check in and I am so grateful he continues to walk daily. Apparently, Tucson has been experiencing a healthy monsoon season, so sunset walks are warm, but not unbearable. The timing was great because it meant I got to say "Hi" to my Seneca Peeps during this month's Game Night and can visit with Kayden on Friday nights. Daryl, my family, and friends gift me pono every week: Texting me pics and videos of Kayden, playdays, birthday brunches, new court ribbon-cutting, and just saying, "Hello." I feel beyond blessed to stay so deeply connected to my friends and neighbors. 🥰
Saturday I was hoping to be well enough to do another volunteer activity, but it was a five-hour commitment with an additional three hours round-trip commute time. In an effort to avoid another relapse, I declined that invitation and opted for a slow morning instead. I did go for a walk to a nearby park to play pickleball at an indoor court. The walk had me cut through some beautifully manicured school grounds, a familiar route that I used every morning of Immersion Week. This gorgeous campus, I discovered recently, is the Punahou School, where President Obama attended from 5th to 12th grade!
The pickleball court is a 20-min walk beyond Punahou School and is at the park I initially tried to play at a couple weeks ago (see Week 2)... I didn't see Roy, but it was busy! Three courts and lots of folks waiting to play in the bleachers!
The courts. Some of the plays were amazing!
Waiting to play...
I also stayed up late on Saturday night to watch the Night-blooming Cereus (also known as the Queen of the Night) in our front yard bloom. It was a dramatic treat for staying up past my bedtime! 😍
Queen of the Night (8pm - 10pm)
There's another bud that looks like it might bloom Sunday or Monday night. 😁
I will continue to practice pono to maintain my wellness next week.
ALOOOOOHA ANA!!! What a beautiful and balanced week you had. I am so glad you listened to your body despite the guilt about resting, making intentional and in-tuned decisions, and putting your needs first. I can so relate to that guilt of "needing to do more."
ReplyDeleteI love that Queen of the Night blossom you captured! I have never seen one. She is definitely a Queen!
Yay for finding pickle ball places and peeps to play with! Oh the Punahou Campus- that thing is like a fancy community college campus with all of its amenities! Can you imagine getting to be a HS student in such a luxurious facility? I am so glad you found it and get to play inside with some AC!!
I can't wait to hear and see pictures about your adventures this week!!
Thank you so much, Erika, for always taking the time to read and share your insights! That Queen of the Night blossom is about as big as my hand! She is a cactus plant, so of course, the blossoms are *huge*!
DeleteI forgot to comment on Iolani Palace! Isn't that place breathtaking and fascinating to learn that they had electricity years before the White House?
ReplyDeleteYes! I learned so much! It's interesting because one of the locals was telling me that the Anti-Trump demonstrators all have 'No Kings' signs, but she said, "No! We want our monarchy to return!" ... So, yes, to Hawaiian kings and queens. Just 'no' to colonial kings. 😏
DeleteSo happy that you are practicing pono and being so intentional with your energy. I love all the photos. That night blooming flower and those trees!!! Thank you for taking the time to share all this with us. I keep praying for your health and healing. Sometimes I get annoyed that my prayers feel unanswered, but that is one of the challenges of prayer. I will keep on praying, even if the response appears to be different from what I am requesting. I am grateful that the Creator is watching over you and keeping you safe, happy, and mostly healthy. Love you
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for reading and commenting and *praying* !!! Your prayers are definitely answered. I just sometimes need to relearn the lesson of slowing down and taking it easy. Thank you for joining me in this adventure, Ree!
DeleteI'm glad you are holding connection with daily sunset walks with Daryl and so much connection with your Seneca ohana, sis... That's part of your healing too! Lots of learning and listening and figuring things out. I like to keep remembering: bodies heal. They know what to do and the wisdom is cellular... Thanks for bringing us along and sharing these vulnerable insights. Love you!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Nanci! I appreciate your company, both with our video chats and through these stories I am sharing. Yes, bodies heal... All beings of nature naturally want balance and harmony. And my body is figuring it out, for sure.
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