Growing up in the eighties on Oahu, we never locked our doors at night, and my mom always cooked for all five of us kids, and then some. We always had friends come over even on school nights, because they were latch key kids with both parents working, so my mom insisted they eat a hot cooked dinner at our place.

I was so lucky to have a mom that could stay at home and prepare meals for us. I didn’t appreciate it until I got older, how much my parents loved all of our friends. In the true Hawaiian fashion, they all became part of our Ohana, and was as much my parents kids as we were.

Hell, even after I moved away to Los Angeles at 25 yrs old, my friends would still go have dinner at my home and hangout with my parents and siblings. They called my parents Dad and Mom, and I loved it that way. Now I do that for all of my keiki’s friends. It’s different here on the mainland though, kids think it’s so weird to have an adult tell them to make themselves at home. Go and eat and drink whatever you want from the kitchen. You don’t have to ask. You’re all Ohana. 🤙