A few days ago a friend sent me an old pic of a trip I took to Kaho‘olawe with a group of friends, building a water catchment system. The island is famous for being 1 of 2 major Hawaiian islands that are not open to the public. The first being Ni‘ihau, which is privately owned and Kaho‘olawe, which was owned by the US military until 1995. The military used Kaho‘olawe as a bombing range for decades (don't get me started about this) so its a dangerous place, with unexploded ordinance everywhere.

One of my closest friends was on that trip. He was going through a lot at the time. Too personal to share, since its his story to tell, not mine. But I remember sitting with him next to that structure talking about how happy he was in that moment, how proud he was to do the work as a Native Hawaiian.

He passed away not too long after this. Looking at this it took me back to that moment on that hill, next to him. The structure we built was going to bring water, life to the land. I remember he was happy.

Such a touching story of friendship, resilience, and the deep connection to the land. It's moments like these that remind us of the importance of preserving our environment and honoring the stories of those who came before us. Rest in peace to your friend.