Honu (Hawaiian Sea Turtles)

The sea turtles, or Honu, of Hawaii, are sacred creatures who have lived in sea and on land for millions of years. These splendid ancient reptiles have a noble quality about them. Whomever is graced by their presence often finds themselves in awe of their grand stature.

The first time I was blessed to lay my eyes on them, I fell in love. Some of the indigenous peoples of North America say that the turtle represents Mother Earth. The Honu's beauty, ageless sacredness and command of respect, lead me to accept this interpretation.  The natural world is an extension of the Creator's vast imagination and love. We must love, respect and protect the Honu and Mother Earth; all sacred gifts from our Creator.

Our family has been blessed to see the Honu on Hawaii several times in the past. Because Amara and Havana are young, their memory has faded. So on this journey to islands of the Pacific, I made sure that we said our prayers and asked the Honu to show themselves to us, so that we could be graced by their magnificence. Our prayers were answered not once but twice. We saw a large family resting on the north shore (and swimming), just east of Paia and then again when we were snorkeling off the south coast. On the latter trip, Amara, on her first snorkeling trip, and I were given the rare gift to see a sea turtle swimming at the bottom of the ocean. These experiences, with the natural world, with the sacredness of our non-human kin, are things that are most important to me as a parent. I want my daughters to grow up with a respect of all life and all gifts from the Creator. On this sojourn to Hawaii, we all were given the opportunity to embrace these things and are hearts were full of gratitude for that.