n. Lesson, assignment, task, gift (Rom. 11.29), appropriation, allowance, grant, or contribution, honorarium, allotment, award, as of money; donation, portion, deal or hand in cards, dream, article (section in a law).

Haʻawina, the general term used for lesson, task or assignment, is apropos today as it is day 1 for most schools in Hawaiʻi. Plenty haʻawina will be shared among teachers and students. Hopefully back and forth, reciprocally.

Most of all, though, I love that haʻawina also refers to gift. Isn’t it the truth, though? Whenever we learn a lesson, especially those that may be difficult to swallow, it is a gift. Any opportunity to learn something that will make our world or our lives a better place to be is a gift.

And dream! The connection I make there is that we frequently learn from our dreams if we are open to it.

Did you receive an award of money? Count that as a haʻawina. Wow. So useful this word! I usually use it for lesson or assignment (that is the teacher in me), but I am going to make a conscious effort to

Nui kaʻu mau haʻawina – I have learned a lot.

Ua maopopo anei iā ʻoe ka haʻawina? – Did you understand the lesson?

Ua loaʻa mai kekahi haʻawina no kaʻu hana – I received a grant award for my work.

Copyright: 2017 – Liana Iaea Honda. All rights reserved. All versions of “He Momi e Lei ai”, in its entirety, past and present, is the property of L. K. I. Honda. Reproduction and use of any kind other than the sharing of this website is prohibited without written consent. Alteration to the original content in any form is prohibited in every and any instance, and use in any other variant is prohibited without written consent of the author. Address inquiries to: hemomi [at] gmail.com. Definitions and wise sayings are from: Hawaiian Dictionary by Pukui and Elbert, 1986. ʻŌlelo Noʻeau – Hawaiian Proverbs & Poetical Sayings by Mary Kawena Pukui, 1983.