Finally starting to feel better … fever and body ache are gone today and only have the congestion and squeaky voice to deal with. I’ve been bombarding my system with vitamin C and other supplements, drinking herbal tea, and applying Vicks to my throat area since we got back from Japan on Tuesday. I’ve got to get better by tomorrow since we have a big fundraiser to perform at down at the Aloha Tower Marketplace.
I started downloading the photos from our trip which brought back some very memorable moments. One of those moments occurred when we visited a memorial at the Port of Onahama near Iwaki city where we participated in a short lei draping ceremony.  There were very few people in attendance … just our group of about 20 and a few others who happened to be there. The stage itself was built from wreckage collected from the disaster, and we were honored to be asked to perform FEEL THE LIGHT there as a tribute to the victims. As Brother Noland began the ceremony with an oli, or Hawaiian chant, a quiet stillness came over us as we stood there on the stage. And as we sang FEEL THE LIGHT, I happened to turn and noticed Noland gazing up towards the sky. He said that as we began singing, a flock of seabirds suddenly appeared and circled overhead before moving on towards the sea. According to legend, he said that birds are able to see concentrations of energy that appear to them as a blue column rising into the sky and are always drawn to it. After we were done, there was not a dry eye in the audience or on the stage … it was an extremely powerful moment for all of us. Afterward, we each placed a lei at the base of the memorial site and said a little prayer for the people of Japan and the rest of the world …
More thoughts tomorrow ….
Aloha, “D”