[Just a quick note to let you know you're loved. Because you need to know that. You deserve to hear it (and read it). Life is tough. It can be long, or cut short--too short. Change happens in the blink of an eye...]   


While I could easily tell you I've fallen behind in some pressing responsibilities resulting in this short intermission, (which is also true) I just can't manage to compose my next post due to the recent young life that was lost just a few days ago.

Sophie was the only daughter to two dear family friends of ours--friends whom we've known since I was Sophie's age.

Living on a small island, you can only image how unnerving it is to hear emergency sirens, learn of accidents, road closures, deaths, or freak accidents like a rock slide on a trail you recently hiked.

You can read about the story in more detail here, here, and here. This reality is still hard to accept and swallow.

Two Tuesday's ago the boyfriend and I woke up, explored our camp area, relaxed, took a nap, and headed out for adventure. I boasted about Waimoku Falls and how fun the hike is to the top, how I just did it the week before, and how I wasn't planning on doing it again but would just for him and blah blah blah. ..

I mentioned in a previous post the torrential downpour I woke up to in the middle of the night our first night in Hana, and my first thoughts were: "Right on! The waterfalls should be flowing strong tomorrow!"

The bf and I were in our own world hiking to the top of the populated Pipiwai Trail and again all I could think of was, "I can't wait to jump in the pool and feel the waterfall on me!"

When we got to the top, I did just that. I jumped in the freezing cold fresh water because I love the way it makes my skin feel after. I eased my way closer to the waterfall until I was completely under it. The power of the water falling from the 400+ foot waterfall crashing all over my body felt exhilarating. It wasn't until I put my hand out to touch the water, looking up when my thoughts boomed in my head, "Get. Out. Now." I immediately eased my way out of the pool, getting further and further away from the flowing waterfall.

While still smiling and wanting to hang out a bit, soak in the beauty around us, I couldn't help but feel reckless and utterly ignorant to the stupidity of what I had done. I realized it was dangerous, I was well aware of the weather overnight, and I'm smart enough to know boulders in the pool originated at the top of that 400+ foot waterfall.

The rock that hit Sophie was no bigger than a soft ball. Her and her family were not reckless like me. They didn't break any rules, or go beyond boundaries. They went on a beautiful hike as a family and were only ignorant to how their lives would change from then on. My friends lives are shattered. Completely broken. They've lost their only daughter. This is hard to accept.

Two weeks ago I hiked this trail with my Brother and some friends, and while we didn't have torrential downpours the night before, we did in fact get in the pool, and hang out under the waterfall. My parents could have lost both their children that day, but we were spared. Exactly a week later, I do the very same thing under the circumstances describes above, and again, I was spared. Exactly one week after that, an eight year old girl's life is taken from us on that very trail.

I don't get it.

Why?

In Loving Memory of Sophia DeLoria

Aloha `oe ~ A Hui Hou Kakou | Farewell to you ~ Until we meet again 2004 - 2011

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