In other words, a special kind of smile.
In the old days, when relatives came from another island to visit you, one of the first things they said was, "Your grandparents send you their aloha."
What were they really sending? A word of greeting? Or was it rather a whole bouquet of emotions: wishing you good health, happy days, success in what you do? This sending of aloha would, therefore, indicate a wide array of good wishes. It was an expression of genuine friendship and affection.
Aloha is more than "Hi!" Genuine aloha is deep-seated. It comes from the heart; otherwise, it is superficial. Because it comes from the heart, the essence of aloha embodies love, warmth, compassion.
History has not been kind to many Hawaiian values. For example, the Hawaiian concept of ohana is insufficiently understood and rarely practiced. The real meaning of kokua, the notion of hanai, and of kapulu, and of oluolu - these are important Hawaiian values that need to be lived if they are to be preserved.
Cultural values cannot be superficial. It is the cultural value of aloha that I think needs attention. The spirit of aloha doesn't seem to have any real spirit nowadays. Many people talk about the spirit of aloha, but not too many know what they are talking about.
Hawaiians are a religious people with strong religious concepts that influence their lives. Mana is a supernatural power or quality found in everything.
If a man is a warrior, he conscientiously develops and maintains the mana that makes him a warrior. A canoe-builder has a different mana; a chanter has his special mana and so does a mother.
This spiritual quality is also found in inanimate things. The ocean has a special mana. So does the volcano. The song, while being sung, has a mana, just as a word has a mana when spoken.
Therefore, when a person greets someone with the word aloha, there is a spiritual power in the very delivery of the word. Likewise, when a relative tells you that your grandmother sends you her aloha, there is a spiritual power (a mana from your grandmother) conferred upon you. It very likely has a greater spiritual influence upon you than a classmate's greeting when he says aloha to you in the morning.
When Queen Lili'uokalani composed her famous song, "Aloha Oe," she was reacting to the scene of two young people expressing their aloha at the moment of departure. The queen was obviously touched by the sight and, therefore, set to music the feeling of aloha that she saw in the young couple.
We don't know the names of the two lovers. Actually, we know nothing more about them other than the fact that their aloha was captured in a haunting tune. Their aloha continues to have great mana because a talented queen used her composing mana to tell that story so poignantly. The mana in both cases came from the heart.
Not everyone today who says aloha to you really means it. Too often the word is used woodenly. There is no smile in the heart or on the lips.
Unfortunately in recent years, the word aloha has been abused. The exaggerated drawing out of the word into "a- lowww-ha'' is a caricature and demeans a beautiful word. What is supposed to be an expression of affection becomes a travesty.
So many say we need a spirit of aloha in Waikiki or Lahaina or wherever, but they are not sure how we get that spirit. So many say, "We need to live aloha."
To avoid a superficial aloha, we will need to get below the surface. Can we really smile? Can we really be compassionate and interested in other people? Can we be sincere when we say hello, especially if we use the Hawaiian word aloha? It must come from the heart or it is hollow. It must begin with a smile in the heart.