Family

Family is incredibly important to me. The funny thing is, however, I have a "non-traditional" family.

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As a young teen, I was separated from my mother and biological family, eventually being taken in by a very caring and loving mom and dad (whom I now consider as blood.) Very soon it was considered and decided that I would be raised as one of their own, as a hanai (adopted) son. This family, the one that I have no genetic ties with, taught me a lot about what it means to have a loving mother and a providing, present father. Were it not for them, I could only fear the worst for my life, as it was through these experiences that I eventually came to God as a broken and battered boy.

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Chris, my dad, taught me about manhood and passed his masculinity on to me in a way that came with strength -- but without fear. In the process of all of this, I gained an additional sister, Amber, and brother, Charles. Although we did not always get along, I never felt as though I did not belong in the home. Honestly, it was great times.

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Below is a picture of my family on Amber's 26th birthday, just a few weeks ago. My mom isn't in the picture because she was working in China. (seriously.)

From L to R:

Charles, the youngest of us and chef at Staple's Center. The kid can make some mean food, loves punk rock and was the little brother I "taught" how to wrestle. :) He is quickly becoming the man we feared he would never realize -- someone of courage, strength and honor.

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Dad -- the goat that he is -- did a lot for me though he would say otherwise. I could never consider myself a man until he told me I had passed the test. Until I received his blessing around the age of 20, I considered myself a boy. With a dad like mine, that only makes sense.

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Me.

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Amber, the queen of drama. She deserves better than she gets and I think she is starting to realize it. We are living together currently and rarely see one another. But she's great and I am learning how to tell her I love her without it being weird.

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However, that's not the end of my family. Some of you know, but I recently went to a family reunion and had a great time. My blood family is just as important to me as my hanai family -- I have my genealogy on my body, proven in ink. They help to ground me, support me and understand my love for all things Polynesian better than anyone else I know. Here they are...

L to R:

Pualani, my older sister and the woman who helped to raise me until I moved out of my mom's house. She is strong-willed, hard-headed and recently found God in a way that is both terrifying and awe-inspiring.

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Uncle Steve -- this is the man mentioned in my post dedicated to Azina. Nothing else needs saying.

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Kapono -- my youngest brother -- lives with my little sister in West Virginia. Shortly after I moved out of my mom's place, they got taken away. For a long time I blamed myself. Now he and I are great friends and I can already see the kind of man he will become; he has already stretched himself outside the realm of my father's shadow and he is only 17.

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Uncle Stan, one of the most compassionate men I know, is taking care of my grandma in Hawai`i. The man gets no time for himself and is very, very selfless.

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Pualeiala, my littlest sister is also the most momona (fat). She's great, has a temper and somehow has never aged. Growing up she had this very thin, unnatural hair that didn't want to grow -- ever. We teased her for it. Now though, she has this wonderful mane of hair that curls and spirals down her back. She and Kapono helped to raise one another, similar to how close Pualani and I are.

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Me, hair pulled back for a hula performance.

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Tutu (grandma) -- the matriarch of the family and teller of stories. I have some ink on my body dedicated to her as well. She also lives on O`ahu with my Uncle Stan.

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Not in the picture is my hele hope (little brother) Keoke. We fight like cats and dogs, live on opposite sides of the spectrum and the continent, and take to one another like oil takes to water. But I wouldn't trade him in for any other. He helped keep me alive during the worst of it.