Hawaiians have a beautiful way with words. They are not simply words but there is a feeling, an energy, and spiritual depth within the spoken language. It is not just a word but a state of being. They bring the energy of the word to life.
I recently learned of a Hawaiian word, Kahu (pronounced Kahoo), which has many different meanings. Kahu is a “honored attendant, guardian, protector, regent, steward”. The one that stood out the most is in reference to a person that has a pet. A person is not a pet owner but referred to as the animal’s Kahu, the guardian of another soul who is responsible for the care of something precious.
Even though the word is not used to define a parent, I couldn’t help but think that “Kahu” would be a beautiful word to describe the essence of a parent. Often, we call our children “mine” as if we own them but that is far from the truth.
Their mistakes and poor choices become a reflection of our own insecurities. Their negative behavior has turned into our failures as a parent. We have become accustomed to blaming the wrong doings of an individual on their parent while ignoring the fact that we cannot control the actions of any other person no matter the age. Anyone who has ever had a toddler, a strong-willed child, a defiant teenager, or even a baby knows they have zero control over what that child does at any given moment. We do, however, have a powerful influence.
We are responsible for guiding them along the way. We are assisting them as they progress on their journey through life to become the best version of their self.
Each person has their own story, their own journey, a personality unique to only that individual. We, as parents, are the protector and guardian of the soul of our sons and daughters. It is our duty and privilege to walk along with them during their journey through life. They are not ours to keep. We are with them for a short time on our journey together that will eventually come to an end. During that small time frame, we have the honor of protecting, loving, and being the guardian of another soul who is responsible for the care of something precious.