LB Says Hi

There's something endearing about watching something grow, especially if you've planted it. There's nothing quite like starting over again. In that seed there is hope for something we have no clue about. We may have an idea: You plant seeds of red roses, you expect you'll get red roses. You plant an avocado seed, you hope to get a tree that bears avocados. But sometimes there are roses that are pink in your batch of red roses, and sometimes the avocado tree doesn't give any fruit at all.  No matter what the product is, at least you had the courage to start planting in the first place. And often times, we don't always get what we had hoped for, but we do always have the experiences of dreaming and trying in the first place. And while there is nothing like starting, there is much to be learned in endings, too.  This photo is a picture of my Dad's pineapple growing in our yard. As you can see, it's smaller than my hand, but now it has grown t...

It's a given that all the major holidays — even the small ones, really — are planned around my family. It always has been this way for me, and so, when these  days come around, and my friends are planning epic nights of wonder and alcohol, I already know that I won't be in attendance. I won't lie, sometimes it really bums me out that I don't get to participate; there definitely is some major FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) usually occurring. Still, when I'm with my family, I realize how important it is to have one. They're more than my friends, because they know me best, and the unconditional love that they provide is unmatched. Not only am I reminded of how much i need my family, but of how much they need me, too. I watched my twin nephews swim in an overcrowded pool this weekend, during our "staycation" in Waikiki. We took them to Benihana's for the first time, where they were mesmerized by the cooking act of flying utensils and food. We followed...