Do not underestimate the power of a hug. Especially after your world comes crashing down, it feels so damn good to just squeeze the people you love. Even complete strangers open their arms to show you some aloha because they’re in this right next to you.

I receive calls on a daily basis from the people closest to me on the island taking big losses, having mental breakdowns and needing a new place to live. Oh and hey, I’ve got my own issues by the way, can’t ignore those! This isn’t easy, you know. We’re unsure how to react in the aftermath. It reminds everyone of COVID when places were shut down or limited, you get caught up in your own mind over the uncertainty of it all, and you don’t really know how to even talk about it anymore.

My friend said it best. “I feel like my head and my heart are both about to explode.”

Facts.

Where the Heart Is

The gym community has always been a powerful force in my life. It has proven time and time again to bring people together, connecting them through a common cause.

The Block and Lahaina Crossfit are two gym communities that operated out of Lahaina who had a common cause to bring people together. They decided to partner up for a beach workout one Saturday morning, back home in the spot we’ve always had it. It would also be the first time we’d see our people together in one place since the fire ripped through our city.

I knew from the start this would be special.

Bring It In

I blinked and within fifteen minutes, Airport Beach went from having a handful of people to an army covering it. You couldn’t greet everyone unless you brought your charcoal grill and some meat to throw on it because you’d eventually need to eat.

I found myself unable to move, frozen in time and space, overwhelmed by the amount of people I knew personally who are all going through it. We were always family, but damn did this experience create a true, undeniable ohana.

Listen up guys, these are your people forever now. There’s no denying it.

We stood together, interlocked hands and observed a moment of silence for those lost in the fire. You could feel a powerful energy in the air in that moment, and it was just the beginning.

Mind, Body & Soul

We began by circling up for yoga. Well, we tried to. I’ve never seen a group yoga session this large before. If you couldn’t hear well, you’d have to rely on your neighbor to pass on the next pose to you. We were working as a unit playing “yoga telephone”. Fortunately, we’ve become used to playing the telephone game the past few weeks and working as a team to survive, and this felt only fitting.

After getting our minds right, the instructors from both gyms came out and explained the workout. The army took to the beach to listen closely and it felt so damn good knowing that it was time to move together again, to bust our asses like we always have, and to leave our blood, sweat and tears in the sand.

After the demonstration of the workout, we were off and running. Bodies were covered in sand from crawling through it, cranking out some sit-ups and making sure our push-ups dropped us down into the sandbox, too. That’s just good form, so drop it like it’s hot baby.

I’ve never seen so many good-looking human beings in one place working this hard, hot from the Lahaina sun, dripping sweat and looking like sand creatures all at once. Finally we were able to get down and dirty and get some sand on those cheeks again. It felt so incredibly special to see it all that I’m telling you #CheeksOutforMaui could be a movement of its own that heals the spirit in disastrous times.

Did you feel that?

It was already such a magical feeling witnessing this moment unfold right before my eyes and being so fortunate to be a part of it. Then it happened.

In the heat of the workout, we felt a mist start to come down onto us. It began raining ever so softly. I looked in both directions at the people around me and I knew that we were all thinking the same thing. We felt that moment together. It hardly ever rains there in the first place, and for the rain to come now of all times.

The mist lasted for maybe fifteen seconds and then disappeared. The universe just wanted to pop in, say hi and sprinkle us with a little aloha.

Serendipitous.

So. Much. Aloha.

Bad weather brings great beauty. Rainbows come after rain. Of course we’ll be spending the foreseeable future mourning and processing our emotions. We can already feel one of the greatest struggles from the aftermath, in our own minds. It’s a mental battle every day to simply exist, let alone know what to do next. That being said, there is so much love going around here right now that you can truly feel the aloha on this island. When you’re feeling frozen and numb, know that it’s here to carry you.

Friends and strangers have taken me into their homes, new neighbors introduced themselves with eggs from their farm, food truck owners comped meals, a brewery handed me a couple roadies, people opened their doors, strangers become friends, and eventually you just can’t ignore the outpouring of love coming from the people of Hawaii anymore.

That, my friends, is some aloha. We look out for each other and there is a collective feeling of togetherness in it all. Getting to be a part of this, as devastating as it is, is special. Together we will play a part in building our future home again, and that means we get to be a part of history forever.

I absolutely cannot wait to rebuild this place with the most resilient people I’ve ever met and look back on all the good we’ve brought to our community as a collective ohana. We will rise up from this moment with a new sense of appreciation for the beauty we’ve created after the storm, we will lay the foundation for future generations to flourish in the home we’ve rebuilt, and we will remember how we remained Lahaina strong through the most difficult time of our lives.

We’re in this together guys. Sending all of you my aloha.

Credits/Resources

Gyms:
The Block
Lahaina Crossfit

Photos:
Ground – Earth & Essence Photography
Aerial – Stephen Rasinar

People:
Too many to even count.

Resources for the displaced:
Maui Resources page for financial aid/shelter
Blog for mental health
E-mail Me to share your story for collective publishing