I was struck by a recent episode on one of my favorite talk shows... Dr. Phil .. This is very sad to say the least .. but in this recent episode about a pretty abusive Mother that originally showed up on an earlier episode with anger issues and had two Daughters that were living around these issues .. She then returns for this new episode .. one Daughter had really turned her life around and is growing in a positive direction  and is doing awesome and the other is the more difficult.  She had no intentions of growing any further in a positive direction .. and her Mother decided to give her choices .. of college, job or volunteer ... somewhere to help others .. This Daughter .. decided on none of these ... instead decided to spend her life on the streets...panhandling ..  basically homeless .. But what bothered me the most .. was that she blamed her mother for HER DECISION .. Yes, her Mother wasn't right in her earlier behavior ... but apparently is now progressing on a better path .. She was given a choice .. which a lot of us just we're given that luxury .. As a Mother as I see it .. these kids these days seem to grow up with a strong entitlement that the world owes them something .. that they don't really need an education or a job .. or any kind of work ethic.. I'm seeing quite a lot of that lately .. I have a dear friend whose Daughter who has just recently been arrested this past week and now has been brought up on murder charges amongst other serious charges.  She is described as a "drifter" in the exact same area as the Daughter of the woman on Dr. Phil.. This area is described as a very high area for transients .. or drifters.  This young 18 year old woman .. barely a woman .. pretty much still a child herself .. has given her family problems from a very young age riddled with drug abuse, delinquency ... and as they say.. just was always hanging out with the "wrong crowd." It was a pretty troubled home... This is just so horribly sad .. as I know no one is perfect and I know for a fact that her Mother has always tried to do the right thing ... but it takes both parents ... Children don't seem to be brought up in a loving nurturing home and seem to act out in these serious ways... drugs, running away... etc.  and seems to be searching for something missing in her life.. I saw this in my own family where my own parents never really "loved"each other just merely existing with one another.. Both had their own holes in their lives to repair especially my mother ... she was never happy .. They always doted on my brother giving him everything possible.  However, in his search to be happy I believe he made his own choice to medicate his life ... numbing himself with alcohol.. then pot .. and to this day he's a 30 year crack addict.. My parents enabled him as they thought they were HELPING HIM.. but in actuality, it made THEM feel better rather than doing what was best for him.... thus they are now both dead and he is still searching and abusing making excuses .. I truly believe there has been a serious breakdown in our family structure and values... where couples are having children without planning, getting married for the wrong reasons and not really taking marriage and what it stands for seriously and respecting and treating the constitution of marriage as God intended and created it to be.  Not being serious as a parent and realizing that you are completely and totally responsible for a "life".  Teaching them right from wrong and getting caught up in their own problems without realizing how much their actions as parents and adults really affect our children... Although I don't see this first young woman who was on the show has gotten into drugs .. I can only pray for her future that she may come to her senses and rethink her decision to be on the streets... its very very sad.  I pray for this family and families out there that have lost their way... and are suffering each and everyday... 

Aloha & A Hui Hou ... 

  

"Its YOUR CHOICE..."

I believe .. some people just like to complain... just like to be negative... just like to ...period!!! They seem to just surround themselves with negative... "oh poor me ... oh why does everything bad happen to me... literally .. constantly... Its just super ridiculously annoying for one... but why does it ALWAYS have to be about THEM??  Do they just choose to do this on purpose??? Are they seriously just thinking and survive on thinking of themselves and how horrible things are for THEM??  Seriously?? Like there is no one else that matters...??  Like everyone is supposed to cater to them??? Their plans constantly change... their ideas .... their concerns ... their focus ... their EVERYTHING....  seems to ALWAYS ... be on themselves.... I just don't know how they can live with themselves ...  What a horrible existence... to be constantly complaining or finding fault with just about EVERYTHING..... A crazy horrible web of bondage .. living in the negative .... but I've learned through the years .. that it is totally a choice..  YOU CAN CHOOSE POSITIVE AND WE NEED TO CHOOSE POSITIVE NO MATTER WHAT... It may not always be easy.. ... but we need to try to  do your best to get though each experience.... or choose the negative ... and live your life as a victim.. THE CHOICE IS YOURS.. 

What you give out is what you get back ...

💚Soo I get an early call this morning from a friend ... who I pretty much just met ... we connected for a reason ... and she has connected me with an income opportunity that could prove to be very interesting and CREATIVE ... but she has had a rough time ... and was in need of $10 to get gas in her car ... I always want to help others as much as I can no matter what, although I knew in my own mind I am already short this week and yesterday was one of the slowest days I can remember at the store but also know that no matter how bad we think our circumstances are there are people much worse off than ourselves .. we connected she was happy and I headed on to work ... In this world of negative evil and turmoil I have learned that "what you give out ... is what you'll receive .." so my daily mission is to be thankful grateful ... and truly find the 💙POSITIVE IN EVERYTHING... so I opened the store and knew I had to get change ... so I started my journey to make change before customers began to show up as there was ABSOLUTELY NO ONE AROUND.. no sooner than I walked a few feet from the store ... right there laying in the middle of the boardwalk was a $10 bill!!! I immediately knew in my heart that God was behind me on my decision to help this friend in need ... 😊 I know my friend said she would meet up with me later to pay me back ... and I know $10 doesn't sound like a whole lot to some ... but lots of folks are really suffering out there ... and every little bit helps ... 💙❤️So please BE THANKFUL BE GRATEFUL...💙❤️FIND THE POSITIVE IN EVERYTHING!!!❤️💙Aloha & A Hui Hou

Everything happens for a reason

WS"Everything happens for a reason ... You hear this statement a lot ... But it is so very true ... 

Shortly after getting married pretty close to 30 years ago now ... My relationship with my mother started to deteriorate ... I didn't realize it at the time but looking back on it now ... It did start way back then .. She was very jealous, bitter and resentful .. But I kept denying it in my my mind ... brushing each incident under the rug ... making excuses ... and just trying to enjoy my new life ... It's pretty sad to admit this and it's worse to know it was my own mother .. 

Just a day or two ago ... an older woman came in my store with very basic clothing on carrying a paper bag ... and I knew by looking at her she didn't have much ... We started talking about the store and the items we carry and the she proceeded to show me her own art ... People like this come in our store all the time as we carry and support at least 40 local artists and craftsman and lots of beautiful local creations.  We buy all kinds of local creations from jewelry, paintings, body products and food items .. So our conversation went on and I really loved my new friend Marilyn's jewlery, trinkets etc.. Especially a gorgeous, very natural looking puka shell necklace and interesting round beautiful wooden box that she told me she paid a quarter for at the thrift shop and that she thought it was a really great find and loved it very much.  Shen then started to tell me a story about how she wanted to give her Granddaughter a gift but had no money.   She then created a beautiful gift for her Granddaughter using a special pendant and gave it to her with great joy and pride ... Only to find this gift in the trash a few months later ... At this point I was pretty much in tears ... knowing that she created this gift with her own two hands cause she wasn't able to buy a gift.  She also told me how she uses safety pins to drill through her shells so that she can string them ... I have created a lot of jewlery with shells and natural items and started with a hand drill and trust me it's very tedious and hard work doing this type of work without the aide of an electric tool.  Marilyn's work is very beautiful and truly creative and shows her deep talent, but more importantly her genuine love.  

Something my own mother slowly deprived me of.   I told Marilyn that I would speak to the owner to see if she would buy some of her creations so that she could make some money, especially the beautiful pukka shell necklace ... I told her I knew that she could get at least $100 for the puka necklace alone ... and if I had the extra I would surely pay her ... She was surprised and I could tell that she would ever expect to get that kind of money for her work ... She then started to pack her stuff up and put her things in her bag and little containers ... I saw her empty the round wooden box thinking she was reorganizing and put the puka shell necklace inside ... She then turned to me and handed me the box with her beautiful smile ... and told me " I want you to have this.. " I was stunned and then really started to cry telling her that she couldn't just give me this ... She said "I can do whatever I want!! and I want you to have this!!! I didn't know what to say but gave her a huge hug!! I told her then I would make her something special of my own creation !!! Oh no you don't have to do that ... I told her back " I can do whatever I want!!" Lol .... 

I gave her another hug ... and she went on her way to collect more shells ... natural Hawaiian treasures found on our beaches ... and using her beautiful God given talents .... ❤️ Marilyn's visit made my day that day ... and I am creating her something special to carry all her creations, supplies and personal belongings in ... and we are going to meet again in the next week or two ... We did share phone numbers !!! She did have a cute little flip phone and we verified our numbers by calling each other right then and there ... She also showed me some pictures of some other family in her phone ... This day I made a dear friend in just a few minutes that I felt more caring and genuine love from ... than I did from my own mother in the last almost 30 years ... not because she gave me something but because she was real and genuine .. Each day we need to remember and cherish as another special day God has given us to help one another and make each other's day !! ❤️❤️

Aloha & A Hui Hou ....

What are YOUR successes??

Someone asked me "What are your successes??" I stumbled for a bit but then I came to realize that we all have successes EVERY DAY... We all start each day with a new CLEAN SLATE ... We need to make it a point to remember ...

Our lives should be lived as though we are able to do, be, or create anything we would like ... Because God gave us the power, knowledge and minds to do so ...  

So take each day and be thankful, grateful and excited for the newness that each of our days brings us ..., 

Aloha & A Hui Hou!!! 

You get what you give out ...

Sometimes it amazes me on how people can treat one another ... even after years of marriage ...  Even though they are angry frustrated and miserable with themselves ... don't admit it and then you're the one that gets the brunt after you react in a negative way ... I've learned through even a short amount of recreating myself that you can learn a positive thing through any and every event ... Training your mind to remember and pushing yourself to be POSITIVE IS KEY...   FIND THE POSITIVE IN EVERYTHING!!! GOD DOESNT MAKE MISTAKES !!! ❤️❤️❤️

Follow Your Heart❤️

I'm not so sure what or how things will end up tomorrow but I know in trusting things will work according to the plan God has for me ...

I used to worry about every single thing ... some horrible family trait ... but I've chosen a new path ... It's a new direction ... positive and filled with energy and most of all FAITH .. A strong deep faith in God ... a great way to begin a new year ... and moving to grow and enjoy God's plan and direction .. I am a true believer in ... intuition, faith ... that real feeling when you know something is right ... that strong "gut " feeling when you REALLY know what to do ... So follow your "heart❤️"... 

Aloha🌴 & A  Hui Hou!!!