Lava Land Part 26: A Shift

By Jill Steele

Author "Blood on the Orchids
Owner Hawaiian Magic Tropical Flowers

Lavacado Fruit Stand

I felt an emotional shift this week that began with a yoga class.  I finally made it to one. My teacher, Rachel, announced that the word of the day was fermenting and used the process of preparing kimchee as a metaphor for yoga and its lingering positive effects on our physical and mental state.  I felt so good for the entire day after the class and the next day as well, so ….  why did it take me so long to get to one? I went to three yoga classes this week, one of them with my son, who is going through his own emotional post lava journey.

While searching for my umbrella, I found my placards under the driver’s seat of my car. We were given colored placards that verified our residency in Kapoho Beachlots during the time of the lava, when certain roads were restricted.   I felt hesitant about removing them from the car, wondering if I might need them to see my property sometime in the near future? I think others may feel the same, because I still see them displayed on car dashboards in store parking lots and on cars of surfers at Honolii.

  

Mango Pie

I returned to art therapy this week after a gentle push from a friend.  One of my former Kapoho neighbors told the class a story about her experience at Pahoa ice cream shop.  She and the server swapped lava stories. The server said that serving ice cream keeps her grounded.  “You can’t serve ice cream when you’re crying,” she told her.   My friend, a school teacher,  has adopted this as her mantra for when she feels emotional during the school day.  

 At the Hilo Farmer’s Market, when I picked up a mango to check for ripeness, its sweet fragrance, unexpectedly, made me cry. This is the time of year my husband would have been bringing bucketfuls of them home from a property he maintained in Kapoho Farm Lots.  We ate them fresh, made mango smoothies, salsa and pie. We also gave many to our neighbors.   My kids created the Lavacado Fruit Stand next to our plywood shed on Kapoho Beach Road and sold the surplus each year. One year, we spent a night at the Hapuna Beach Prince hotel with their earnings. 

All of the above experiences add up to healing.  I am gaining clarity and feeling happier and more positive about the future.

By Jill Steele

Author "Blood on the Orchids
Owner Hawaiian Magic Tropical Flowers