Yesterday I celebrated the life of my friend Adam Havrilak, along with his Hawaii ohana. The service was done at a beach park in Hawaii Kai. It was sunny with strong trade winds blowing as we gathered around Adam’s ashes and a photograph of Adam, taken on the water just in front of where we stood. We gathered around close, forming a tight circle around Adam’s father while he read his son’s eulogy. The eulogy was well written, and just as everyone began to cry the sky started crying with us. It was still sunny and warm, but, as it happens in Hawaii, the rain seemed to come from nowhere and be sent from above just to wash away our tears.
[Above: Adam and I got up and drove to Sandy’s Beach for the sunrise on New Years Day 2008. On 2 hours of sleep, I never would have gotten out of bed, but Adam had this drive to have fun that you just couldn’t say no to, and we ended up running all over the beach taking pictures with the bus loads of Japanese tourists who paid to be taken out there to watch the sunrise with us.]
The service ended and we took Adam out to the ocean. His father jumped in the water and let Adam’s remains drift away while we decorated the water with lais and flower pedals. It was perfect.
Afterwards we headed to Kona Brewing Company for pupus and to talk story. Adam had a lot of stories.
That was pretty much all of Sunday. It was sandwiched right between Valentines day (my least favorite “holiday†which I hate) and Presidents’ Day (I’m still laying in bed thinking about all the hummus I ate yesterday and how my sweat probably smells like garlic). Not that the long weekend really has a lot of meaning when you “work†every day (I put the quotes on ‘work’ because the word has a negative connotation associated with it, and I really enjoy what I do.)
Really nice insightful telling of Adams memorial on Sunday.
I am glad that you were able to be with Bob for this trying time.
Dad