Gabe

ALOHA

Aloha, Dear Gabe. . . Until we meet again. . .

Hawaiian Superman:

The Big Man, Gabe, vacated his usual place of honor at the Harbor Pub some months back

to live with his grandchildren and family in Georgia.

Recently, he went into the hospital there for a routine surgery.

He never regained consciousness.

This full-blooded Hawaiian gentleman leaves a giant empty space in the lives of his many friends around the island.

Grown men wiped away tears the other eve

as everybody’s favorite band, Simplicity played his Aloha Party.

One time Gabe told us the story of his first childhood visit to downtown Honolulu.

Young Gabe, a boy from the country of maybe 5 or 6, watched as the double doors inside da department store opened to admit the people. When the doors opened again – the people were gone! “Don’t make me go in there! I don’t want to disappear!” The boy Gabe had wailed.

Gabe was walking history, a lot of mine included, come to think of it.

Aloha, Big Man, Aloha `Oe.

Parting is bitter; but you’ve always been really sweet. . . .

You see Hawaii is not paradise because it is perfect.

Rather, it is a paradise because we choose to greet life’s changes not with regret or despair, but with deep appreciation, acceptance, and aloha. . .

Paradise is what you make of it, and where you find it. . . And if you are lucky, you will make friends like Gabe. . . .

ALOHA! cloudia