Hawaiian Word of the Week: kahawai

When we think of Hawaii, we immediately think ‘beach’ or ‘ocean’. But freshwater streams or kahawai (pronounced: kah-hah-why), are extremely important to native Hawaiians. 

Kahawai was an  important resource to native Hawaiians. Kahawai provided fresh water (or ‘wai’ in Hawaiian) for nourishment. The thing that struck me most as I was learning more about the meaning of kahawai was that they only took what they needed from the kahawai because Hawaiians were expected to share the precious resource with others. It made me reflect: With our obsession of “more is better” we seem to have these days, how often do I only take what is needed and share the rest with others? 

This week, how will you share with others the same way that Hawaiians share from the kahawai?

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