A customer asked recently, “I just received my Andara crystals and the return address was in Texas. I thought you were in Hawaii? Is this the real Life’s Treasures Kauai?”
I was told by a good friend that we need to share our story of how we ended up in Texas.
Through sharing this, we unveil the spiritual roots of our origins and the sacrifices we made for our children, showcasing a profound and sacred belief in the true essence of Aloha within our Hawaiian heritage.
Born on Kauai – Children of Aloha
Linda and I were both born and raised on Kauai, HI in the 1960s. We grew up in the invisible presence of Mana and Uhane “Hawaiian spirituality”.
As you can tell from our last name, Naea, I’m a native Hawaiian.
The concepts of Ohana “family”, Aina “the land”, and Pono “balance in life” were a key part of our upbringing.
However, the most profound representation of Hawaiian cultural beliefs lay in the legacy of Hawaiian society and its ancestors via one small word, Aloha.
In Hawaiian culture, Aloha is more than just a word–it’s a way of life.
Aloha embodies the deeply held and profound spirituality / wisdom of over a millennium (1000 years) of Hawaiian history.
Though many only know it as “Hello or Goodbye”, Aloha covers a wide range of spiritual truths.
It is difficult to find an equivalent translation for the word “Aloha” in other languages, as it encapsulates many intricate concepts of existence and interaction.
Aloha embodies a spirit of love, mutual respect and affection, expressing warmth and care unconditionally.
It represents a state of harmony and tranquility, reflecting the peaceful nature of a balanced and perceptive mind.
Hawaiian Spirituality – Raised in Aloha
Aloha, for native Hawaiians, is not just a word but a spiritual energy that serves as a powerful bond, connecting all elements of life, including people, nature, and the universe.
When broken down to its constituent words Alo “sharing, presence” and Ha “breath, life”, literally meaning “the presence of breath” or “the breath of life.”
But there is also the central constituent middle word Oha “joy, love” that gives us a deeper meaning of “the joyful sharing of life in the present.”
From a Hawaiian perspective, it is the recognition of the sacred eternal within all.
As Queen Liliʻuokalani once said, “Aloha is to learn what is not said, to see what cannot be seen, and to know the unknowable.”
Aloha is the key that unlocks foresight and access to the infinite.
This is the world Linda and I grew up in. We were infused with the spiritual energy there from birth.
We were raised within the traditions passed down by family and friends.
We lived and worked there on Kauai for over 50 years. And in 2016, we left Hawaii without looking back.
With Aloha as our compass and spiritual support, we set out into the unknown.
A Sacred Journey – Heart of Aloha
Linda and I never thought we would ever leave Kauai. Yet we did, never doubting our choice.
For in 2016, we were the parents of two special needs children who required more than what Kauai could provide for them.
I was once asked, “How could you leave paradise? Everyone wants to live there.”
I pulled out my cell phone and showed a picture of my son and daughter and replied, “That’s why.”
The way Linda and I see it, we choose to bring them into this world, and they choose and trusted their lives with us.
As their parents, it was our sacred duty to provide and care for them the best that we could.
So we packed up everything we had, said our goodbyes, and put our trust in God that everything would work out.
This was our first leap of faith, as we had never been there, though Linda’s nephew lived there.
We bought a house just outside of Seattle, WA. It was close to the Seattle Children’s Hospital and Autism Center that we had chosen for our two children.
By 2021, the area around Seattle became too dangerous to live there anymore. Crime had skyrocketed, even in our quiet neighborhood.
Though we really didn’t want to move from our dream house, the safety of our family was at risk.
So, in the late summer of 2021, we moved to Texas. It was a 2300 mile drive, truly an endeavor for our family.
Again, we put our trust in God, our second leap of faith in just five years. This time, we really were driving into the unknown.
Throughout it all, our two special needs children were both calm and at ease, not really aware of how big a change it was for their parents.
Luckily, we were both rich in Hawaiian spirituality, with Aloha forever in our hearts and minds.
Which brings us back to our Aloha Andara crystals, and our online store, Life’s Treasures Kauai.
In Part 2, I will cover how our Aloha Andara crystals are altogether different from all others.
Together, we will explore the resonant energy, unique signature / presence, and inherent “Spirit of Aloha” infused in each Andara crystal from the hearts of Mark and Linda.
Stay Tuned…