Misc. Ramblings

This is a story about two families. Malia had a large, high energy family. It included her husband and six animated but well-behaved children. As is the case with most Hawaii families, both parents worked. In fact, to make ends meet, both Malia and her husband each worked two jobs. His was two full-time jobs and hers was one full-time and one half-time serving food at a restaurant.

As you can probably guess, the family was not rich. At least, not in the common sense of the word. Yet, what the family had was worth more than all the money some of their rich neighbors had. What Malia's family had was love. Love for each other and love for their neighbors (even the rich ones), friends, and God.

Each year, as it came close to Christmas, Malia's husband would start planning the house decorations for their humble abode. Where he found the time to do this no one ever could say but it seemed he would out do himself each year. Year after year he would add more lights and figures. He would sing to himself as he strung the lights around the windows, up the side of the house, over the roof and to the tree limbs. With so many lights, you could see his house from miles away due to the glow in the sky. Guided by that light in the dark sky, thousands would come to marvel at the sight.

But one bright summer morning, as Malia's husband was driving the kids to summer school, a speeding drunk driver slammed his car into their van, slicing the van into pieces and killing everyone except the drunk driver himself.

When the police reached Malia at work to tell her of the sad news, she could not believe that her entire family had been taken from her. It was a very dark time for her. Malia fell into a deep depression. A depression so deep she began to question God and how He could have allowed this. Her depression lasted for over a year. Then another year. And yet another as she struggled to find meaning in what had happened.

Towards the end of the third year, when the cool winter breezes began to flow down from the mountains a change came over her. While her heart was still filled with darkness a small flame of hope began to sputter. Day by day, it grew bringing light to her life and with it a plan began to form in her heart.

Malia decided she would continue on where he husband had left off. She would once again decorate the house as a memorial to his spirit and the life she once had.

She began by pulling out the lights that had laid collecting dust for lo these many years. While doing so, Malia was surprised to find something that her husband had been working on before he had died. She carefully checked to make sure everything was still in working order and then began to install what her husband had been working on. It took her almost a week to get everything set just right, but by December 24th, she was done. All there was yet to do was to throw the switch that would once again light the way to her house.

During this time, our other family, neighbors across the street headed by a man named Iokepa, was having their own problems. It seems Iokepa liked to drink. Sometimes too much. And when he got drunk, he would become full of rage. A rage he took out on his wife and two children. It got to a point in which his wife, fearing for her and her children's lives, took the children and fled to the mainland.

Iokepa too became depressed. But rather than feeling the healing hands of time, he spiraled ever downward. The days became just a blur until early one evening, he decided he would end what passed for his poor existence.

He dragged himself to the bedroom closet where he kept his gun and ammunition. By then, it had gotten dark and what with the electrify long since turned off for non-payment, he carried the gun and ammunition to the living room facing the street. He collapsed onto the worn out couch and with what little light there was from the street light a block away, he began to slowly, methodically, load the pistol that would finally take his misery away from him.

Just as Iokepa raised the gun to his head, he was startled by a bright light that suddenly appeared across the street. A light that made him close his eyes and put the gun down so he could shield his bloodshot eyes. A light that came from thousands of little bulbs strung by Malia and brought to life by a throw of a switch.

Iokepa staggered to the window and as tears streamed down his face, Iokepa gazed at the beautiful scene. It was of a manger, filled with straw and a baby wrapped against the cold in a blanket. And around the manger were His earthly parents and visitors from far away. But what drew his gaze the most was the huge star, glittering in the dark night. A star created by Malia's husband years ago and now showing the way to life.

It's Christmas Eve and from the Seto household we wish you Peace, Love, and Light.

Have a Merry Christmas, Everyone - Aloha!