Auntie Judy, My Hawaiian Aunt

Where do I even begin? Judy is such a special person to me and my entire family. She was born and raised on the Big Island and has been working at the same restaurant as a server for the last 22 years. I first met her when I was five years old when she was our server and my life has never been the same. She is the most generous person I have ever met, even though she does not have a lot. This speaks so much into the culture of Hawaii and even though these people might not be the richest in money, they are the richest in love. All five feet of her and she knows how to love on people like I have never seen before. She is witty and always knows how to put a smile on my face. The stories she tells from her early childhood to now living on a farm in Waimea and growing her produce are always so fun to hear. Even though she is almost seventy years old, she continues to power through life standing tall and loving on everyone she meets.

My first memory of Judy that I remember was back when I was about eight years old. We were sitting outside having dinner and the wind was howling. The wind is a very common thing to happen on the islands, and when it starts it does not stop, it is brutal and this time it even started raining. Without even an ounce of hesitancy, she set a new table up under the protected patio and brought us over tablecloths that she had found to help keep us warm. I will forever remember sitting all bundled up at the table with my white linen tablecloth all warm and cozy. That moment is one of the countless generous things she has done for me. As the years have gone on and the closer I have gotten with her, the more she feels like someone I am related to. She always tells me to call her "auntie" which is a term of endearment for Hawaiians.

Every time we arrive back on the island and have dinner in her section, she goes above and beyond, and most of the time we end up closing the place down with her sitting at our table sharing stories. We always know which table is ours right when we walk in because she has spent so much time decorating it with flowers, buying us leis and lei po'os, and bringing us freshly cut fruit from her farm up in Waimea. Every time she never fails to outdo herself and she continues to make me and my entire family special. The times that I have been lucky enough to bring my teammates and closest friends over, she always texts me, asking who is coming and making sure she has bought enough for everyone. She makes everyone feel special and loves everyone as if they are her own. I feel so blessed to know someone as amazing as her and she has shown me what generosity means and how to unconditionally show love to everyone.