The last couple of weeks, Oʻahu felt the weight of the sky. The rain came down hard and unrelenting. It washed through our valleys and streets as if trying to start over from scratch. Homes flooded, roads closed, and families my neighbors, my friends watched the waters rise faster than anyone expected. It’s hard to describe what it feels like to see the island you love swallowed in silence and gray.

I’ve been sick, and can’t get out much, watching the updates from home. Maybe that’s made it harder. I feel half-guilty for not being able to help more, half-relieved to be safe and dry. But this week reminded me—again—that Hawaii is resilience in living form

I will be back to writing next week. I hope everyone is having a good weekend-Ash