‘Ohana, the value of Family, and Hānai interpretations for Business

If we were to reduce the value of ‘Ohana to its purest intentions, I would say it this way: The Hawaiian value of ‘Ohana seeks to open up family. Besides those blood ties that bind us by birth, we can choose who we consider our ‘ohana to be, enlarging our human circle of aloha.

There is an exceptional article this month in the August/September 2007 issue of Hana Hou! (the magazine of Hawaiian Airlines) called Hānai Tales, Hawaiian Family Values. Hānai is the word for adoption, and as the storyline conveys, “The Hawaiian form of adoption reminds us that love, not genes, is what truly defines family.” The four-page story was exceptionally written by Paul Wood, recipient of the 2006 Elliot Cades Award for literature, and the author of two story collections, and within it Wood demonstrates his skillful weaving of stories, these being of those who are children of adoption, or who have chosen to adopt. Hana Hou! is sold at newsstands and in bookstores, thus the online archives are purposely delayed an issue or two, but I will be tracing the article to link here in a future update. [And here it is!]

The photos which accompany Wood’s article, by well-known Hawaii photographer Linda Ching are absolutely perfect, not only in capturing the precious faces of family, but in conveying the emotional intelligence of Wood’s article. Here is what photographer Linda Ching said, about taking up the challenge of illustrating the complex and often abstract concepts of Paul Wood’s story, as shared on the contributor’s page of the magazine:

“I wanted my pictures to illustrate the bonds that I feel are the truest part of hānai, which I see as love without boundaries. It was like trying to capture love in a bottle, daunting at first, until I met these children who were so lovingly bonded to their kūpuna [elders], and Hōkūlani, whose smile is the essence of aloha.” A hānai child, Hōkūlani Holt-Padilla, calls it “the best of all worlds. I never felt unwanted.”

Hānai is what we refer to as “open adoption.”

According to Wood, the government does not allow adopted people to know where and to whom they were born in forty-five of the fifty U.S. states – including Hawai‘i. [Not even where – I didn’t know that before reading the article.] This is in stark contrast to the traditional Hawaiian practice of hānai, which is very inclusive; hānai children do know who their biological parents are, and often they are close by; sometimes hānai children live in both homes at different times. They feel they are very loved, and haven’t really been given away; elders have simply decided where, and with whom it is best they live, and where the responsibility for raising them well can best be fulfilled. Often there is no paperwork involved, just an agreement between parents; two are giving, two are receiving, four are sharing the life of a child. Where ever they are, and like any child, a hānai child brings new life to a home, to a heart, to a family, to the circle of human aloha. Hānai ends loneliness.

Hānai may very well be the very best way we can learn about the inclusiveness, giving, and unconditional acceptance of ‘Ohana. Now just imagine what happens when someone in the thought-to-be professionally cold world of business, brings these concepts into a company ... a family entrusts one of their own to a business, that company receives and fully owns the responsibility for raising and caring for that person, so that all, including the community, can share in the best possible expression of that life. Wow.

Wood includes a story of how the hānai parents of Auntie Leimamo Lee of Hāna, Maui, asked her birth parents if they could have her before she was born, because “My [hanai] parents never had any children of their own, but they loved children, and they asked for one.” Wood writes,

“One might wonder how any parents could give up their newborn with such apparent ease. So it’s important to remember a key element to all true hānai agreements: No one loses.”

No one loses. You can also say that the world does not lose. More in Wood’s words:

“In deep Hawaiian tradition, the first-born (hiapo) girl was dedicated to the maternal elders, the first-born boy to the paternal ones. Auntie Leimamo of Hana tells me, ‘Reason was, the grandparents will show the grandchild the way to go in life and take the secrets of whatever they know and pass them on to the child.’ … the point of [her] generational story is to illustrate one great value of hanai adoption – it helps ensure that the knowledge of the old folks will pass on to future generations. The child hānaied by the grandparents becomes a conduit of culture.”

Now consider if these kinds of ‘Ohana values were brought to the conventional ways we think of succession planning in a company, where cross-generational bonding (think ‘mentorship’) ensures that the wisdom and skills of the “elders” and any ‘organizational culture’ they represent, is never lost. Again, wow.

Footnotes and Helpful Links:

1. This is how Hana Hou! describes their editorial mission: “As the island lifestyle magazine of Hawaii‘s premier airline, Hana Hou! strives to provide fresh, insightful views of the people, places and cultures that make our island home so special. Whether you‘re a resident or a visitor, we hope to offer exciting new perspectives through our commitment to outstanding writing, photography and graphic design. We consider it a privilege to be able to present the work of some of Hawaii's finest writers and artists.” They do an excellent job, and I highly recommend browsing their archives, or getting a subscription for the stunning photography they showcase. 
2. Those story collections authored by Paul Wood, are False Confessions and Four Wheels Five Corners, Facts of Life in Upcountry Maui. He has also done a number of botanical books.
3. Photographer Linda Ching has often had her work presented in Hana Hou! and when I get on a Hawaiian Airline flight, see a new issue waiting and open it up, hers are photographs that leap off the page at you with startling human connection. Her exhibits include showings in the US Congress and at the China National Museum of Fine Arts in Beijing. Visit her website for samples: www.lindaching.com

Comments

[April Groves]

Totally inspiring! The idea of "win-win" is a wonderful one that I agree we should all strive to achieve.

Your post is saturated in selflessness, giving, and open arms. And these things are benchmarks. Helping others towards greatness is at the crux of being wonderful ourselves.

[Rosa Say]

You are so right April; we do get inspired by family. It keeps me wondering why businesses are so cautious about incorporating more family values into our work ... well, I know why, but I keep offering the additional viewpoint in a sense of hope!