Sunday, November 27, 2011

Good Lives On

A  L  O  H  A  !




" To find the universal elements enough;
to find the air and the water exhilarating;
 to be refreshed by a morning walk
or an evening saunter; 
to be thrilled by the stars at night;
 to be elated over a bird’s nest
or a wildflower in spring –
 these are some of the rewards
of the simple life. "

John Burroughs












Air Force One; President Aboard


" The ultimate measure of a man 
is not where he stands
in moments of comfort,
 but where he stands 
at times of challenge
and controversy. "

Martin Luther King, Jr.










Happy 175th Birthday King David Kalakaua
  Born on November 16, 1836


  "although darker than a mulatto,
he has an excellent English education
& in manners
is an accomplished gentleman"

 Samuel Clemens
(Mark Twain)
describing the King, in a letter to his mother and sister.
(Letters, Volume 1, p. 394). 














 Died in San Francisco 
on January 20, 1891.
 
 
 
“Tell my people I tried.”
  His final words














“ Love is a promise,

love is a souvenir,

once given never forgotten,

never let it disappear. "

 

John Lennon
























Queen Kapiolani
Wife of Kalakaua, Queen Consort of the Hawaiian Isles
 Tenure 12 February 1874 - 20 January 1891


Born, Hilo  December 31, 1834
Died, Waikiki June 24 1899
(age 64)




   > < } } ( ° >




128 years ago this month,
on November 8, 1883,
six Sisters
of the Third Order of St. Francis
landed here in Honolulu.

The King & Queen welcomed them.

The sisters had come
to nurse the growing number
of isle patients
that were still called
'Lepers' in those days.



50 or more religious communities
  had been approached,
only these Sisters
from Syracuse New York
were willing to come.


Tears streaming down her face,
Queen Kapiolani spoke for herself,
 for King Kalakaua,
and for her people
when she said:

"You have left your home
to come to these far away islands
to care for my poor
afflicted children.
I shall never forget you,
and you are always my sisters. "



The Sisters' leader
Mother Marianne Cope
relieved Saint Damien on his death bed
and carried on leadership
of the quarantine community 
on Molokai's Kalaupapa peninsula 
for 27 years till her own death
in 1918.



The Sisters of Saint Francis
(and of the Queen)
are still serving these islands
through schools they founded.

The hospitals they launched 
and ran for years
are now privately operated. 



Perhaps the BEST novel I ever read,
will immerse you
in these times and places
that seem not that long ago
to us here in Hawaii.

My Review is HERE


Incidentally, 
the hospital where President Obama was born
here in Honolulu
is called


Long live the nobility of the human soul !

Thanks for bringing YOURS here
                                                                                              Warmly, cloudia
























36 comments:

  1. º°❤
    Olá, amiga!
    Que céu mais lindo!!!
    Boa semana!
    Beijinhos. º° ✿
    ♫° Brasil
    ·.♪
    ❤♥

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  2. They look so regal. What a wonderful rich history.

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  3. Looking back in history let us stay still for a moment...

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  4. The history of your islands is so interesting.

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  5. You always share some interesting info on your state. I've learned a lot about our 50th.

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  6. What a terrific post! That cloud photo is just amazing...was it a sunrise or sunset? Almost looks like fire! The King and Queen DO look regal. They have such beautiful features. Also, I just love the Burroughs' quote...how true.

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  7. So true about the St. Francis nuns. David and I toured Kalaupapa, where the patients with Hanson's Disease (leprosy) lived and died. Beautiful place, beautiful people.

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  8. Fascinating historical tidbit. A man of manners. we don't seem to have a lot of those around anymore.

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  9. nice...will check out that book...and what a cool tale of the siters...

    nice lennon quote too...

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  10. Wonderful clouds, wonderful words - most inspiring.

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  11. They were amazing people. I'm always surprised that few people know about Brother Dutton who my grandfather worked with in Kalaupapa where he was a Buddhist missionary for 6 years.

    Here's a website about Dutton and Damien.
    http://www.damien-duttonleprosysociety.org/ourmission.php

    Brother Dutton spent 42 years in Molokai and died there. My grandfather told me he was a great man.

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  12. Thank you for such a well weaved bit of fascinating history...and such fine sisters.....long live such a powerful human soul....forever and ever!

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  13. Did you take the picture of Airforce One?

    Greetings,
    Filip

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  14. Yes, that's my shot of airforce 1 leaving Honolulu

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  15. The history of these islands is fascinating

    Stefano

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  16. Thanks so much for your encouragement. Religion & Ethics Wkly carried a story on the presidential candidates & mentioned that 94% of white, male Christian Evangelicals would vote for Romney rather than Obama. I don't think there could be a better Christian representative of our people than Mr Obama. Am I missing something?

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  17. I just read Carol's comment and I absolutely agree with her. I'm very proud of our President. Just had to say that...

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  18. Thankyou. Glorious first shot, and great history lesson.

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  19. thanks for the history lesson.

    the first photo caught my eye.

    stunning!

    a big aloha!!

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  20. Bonza history lesson. I especially like the quotes by Martin Luther King Jr and John Lennon :-).

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  21. Excellent history lesson Cloudia! Love the sky pics!
    Xo
    Jeanne

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  22. Mahalo for the book recommendation, Cloudia! (I read 5 while visiting, including one on the dear king.) I think you have friendly, warm dragons dancing in the sky. DrumMajor

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  23. So glad my soul stopping in tonight. Aloha, amiga!!

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  24. Cloudia, what a beautiful man the last king was. :-)

    Just did some work linking maps of Oahu to various places, even got to call there. I have to tell you, some of the accents were thick for me, but everyone sounded warm to these Minneapolitan ears!!

    Pearl

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  25. Excellent post! I love learning about beautiful people who have done wonderful things with their time here on earth. :), Miriam@Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters

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  26. With each fabulous post of yours i fall more and more in love with your Hawaii :)Aloha.

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  27. A wonderful post – the history of Hawaii is so powerful and should be better known.

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  28. "Tell people I tried." That's awesome.

    Happy Sunday! xo jj

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  29. Lovely post. That cloud shot is amazing!

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  30. Jolly!
    Thanks for joining us here

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