Remembering With Gratitude

May 2, 2018 is a day we'll long remember. The day Lunel ended up in an unexplained coma and was rushed to the emergency room. During the next 36 hours, lava began to flow in our subdivision, Civil Defense was going door to door with emergency evacuation orders, and Phil was watching his world dissolve around him.

Yes, Ganesh is seated on a large chunk of pahoehoe lava

In that same period, a fire broke out in the forest near our home and it was burned to the ground. Shortly thereafter lava broke out at Fissure 8 and initially began to flow to the east, away from our house. The rest is history as lava built up and eventually covered not only our home but 700 others on it's speedy way to the ocean.
May also happens to be our anniversary month when we celebrate our meeting on May 18, 1986...and our wedding three years later on May 25, 1989. AND, it is TUDOR'S third birthday.

To commemorate this auspicious month, Lunel decorated a cement statue of Ganesh, the Hindu elephant god most widely known for his ability to overcome obstacles. The most immediate connection to that philosophical principle would be a 200 foot high mountain of lava that covered our home, but there is another, less widely known concept that Lunel adopted for herself many years ago.

Elephants are assumed to be terrified of mice. Ganesh, however, decided to overcome his fear -- by  'making friends' with his fear, adopting the mouse as his side kick. In many images of Ganesh you will find him accompanied by his mouse/friend/teacher. Lunel had an image of Ganesh-with-mouse tattooed on her arm for her 70th birthday.

May 2018 brought a package of unbelievable fear, loss, anger and depression for both of us and a two-year journey of ups and downs. We chose to adopt the philosophy that would allow us to look at those emotions squarely and recognize the profound teachings they might offer. We were graced with an outpouring of gifts, support and aloha during that time. Today, on this significant anniversary, we pause to give thanks for each and every blessing.

Aloha and Mahalo