LOST Without My BG!

Exploring the islands of Hawaii, has shaped me into a seeker of life’s broader highway, one in which a sense of wholeness engulfs the traveler in me. I have welcomed the tropical rain that disperses on my golden, salt-kissed skin.

However, throughout this life changing journey someone has been missing. This person is a part of me, as unique as every piece of volcanic rock; she is my black pearl, my seashell and a link to the oceanic currents. She is my daughter, Shayla Rae Dawn. 

Over the years, we have partook in many adventures of the heart. Whether backpacking throughout Washington or placing our quarters into the fortune telling machine at Pike Place Market in Seattle, our footprints tell a story of the adventures that are inscribed upon our care-free spirits.  

Amidst our sleeping outdoors under the glint of a crescent moon at Ocean Shores; Shayla and I have met a host of characters befitting for campfire storytelling.

The unmeasurable bond we share has been multiplied over time, as I grow older, she becomes wiser. During this trip to Hawaii, there have been occasions where I have seen an elaborate display of nature and I wanted to share it with her.

 The suspended cannonballs in the towering trees, is one example. Then there are moments of hilarity, which I want to burst into giggles and have Shayla laughing right alongside me. 

I experienced this yesterday at The Bishop Museum in Honolulu. The visit and touring was a phenomenal experience and I would highly recommend it. Once inside, my hands followed the smooth defined lines of architecture; precision at its finest. There are many rooms and floor levels of rediscovered, historical artifacts. While I was browsing several statues, I saw an elaborately carved wooden figure, which had elongated teeth, several wisps of human hair, wild googly eyes and a tongue protruding out of his crooked mouth. It reminded me of Homer Simpson withdrawing from Duff beer. I smiled; knowing if my daughter was standing there with me, we would pretend to be in deep reflection, when suddenly a fit of laughter, would have us followed by security. 

As I viewed the endless objects from the past, I found something uniting me with the present. Shayla is a Pisces and with her, is the element of the sea. Therefore, the object before me was reflective of this. Encased in glass, was a shell defined by elegance and form. Coreulum Cardissa lives in coral sand of the tropical pacific and is a heart-shaped cockle. Sunlight filters thru the thin, translucent shell, providing a safe haven and energy for the tiny zooxanthellae, which reside inside. The algae recycles unwanted substances from the cockle. The relationship is symbiosis; benefiting both partners from this arrangement. 

This enduring process reminded me of my own kinship with my daughter. The closer, long term interaction of our relationship has allowed us to grow as individuals; expelling the undesirable impurities, still maintaining our special bond. While this Hawaiian journey has been without her by my side, amid every golden sunrise at the break of day, I have carried my daughter within the energy of the seashore waves.

By TL Alton