Letter: Storms help clean aina, replenish reef

We can do only so much to prepare for a storm or hurricane. I welcomed the hurricane because we need the rain badly on the Leeward side. Hopefully, Lane won’t leave Hawaii with extensive damage.

My grandmother told me as a child growing up that sometimes a storm and rough seas are good because they help cleanse the aina — like giving it an auau (bath) — and the ocean to replenish the papa (reef) with limu (algae) for food and the kai (ocean water) to fill the rock-shore ponds, which dry and leave Hawaiian salt (pa‘akai) for many essential uses, such as personal consumption, medicinal and spiritual purposes and food preparation.

As for me, I’ll take a storm any day, rather than watch our Hawaii being scorched by the sun and drying our aina so that any fire is sure to happen.

Sure, the aftermath of any storm or hurricane can cause destruction and loss of life. And we are not in a position to ask why.

Things do happen for a reason.

John Keala

Waianae