Ho’omau means to endure with diligence. It is the action of doing and being good, even when things are hard. Ho’omau is patience through challenges, and having a positive attitude, even in the bleakest conditions. 

“Ho’o” means – to do, or to be 

“Mau” means – Steady, constant, ever. It connotes the feeling of eternity, that things continue:

Persevere. 

Endure. 

Last. 

Therefore, ho’omau is more than just the ability to endure… it is the belief that life goes on forever.

The trials and challenges we face are events in life, not life itself.

Because they don’t last forever, we can face them with positivity and strength. 

*A similar Hawaiian value, Ho’omanawanui means to “bear for a season,” encouraging us to be patient in our trials. Ho’omau and Ho’omanawanui share similarities, but ho’omau reminds us that trials don’t last forever, and ho’omanawanui helps us be optimistic and patient through them.

Just Keep Swimming 

I’ve never been a good surfer. In fact, I didn’t learn how to surf until I was 13 years old, when my Filipino grandpa took us to White Plains beach on Oahu.

I enjoyed surfing, but I was not very good at it, and whenever we got home, I’d find bruises all over my body from my bones hitting the board when I paddled out to sea. 

One time, however, my sister and I separated from our family to surf by ourselves.

Being amateur surfers, we went pretty far out. If we didn’t go so far into the ocean, other people could get hurt if we couldn’t stop or turn our boards while catching a wave.

After a while, however, we began to drift. Before we knew it, we drifted quickly. 

It was the current. 

The current pulled us away from the surf zone, away from the swimming zone, and away from shore. 

Grandpa swam out to us, told us to keep paddling towards shore, but to stay in the direction of the current. 

Feeling Stuck…

It felt like hours that we paddled. My arm muscles ached from paddling, and my bones felt like they would shatter from hitting the board. I remember seeing my mom standing on the shoreline, watching with concern. She was so small and so far away. 

It felt like we were getting nowhere.

The sky darkened and the waves got bigger the farther away we went. But we kept paddling. At some points, I got off my board and swam with it, because my body hurt so much. 

Finally, grandpa stood up on a coral reef. 

“We can walk back to shore,” he said. When I stood on the reef, my legs were noodles. It took all my energy to walk to the sandy shore. 

My feet had cuts on them by the time we sat on the sand. I looked at my sister, both of us pale with exhaustion. 

Grandpa let us rest for a few minutes, but he said we needed to keep going, because the family would be worried. We helped each other carry the longboards, but we had drifted so far off, that it took forever to walk back to the original surf spot. 

By the time we reached the rest of the family, my body was done. I laid on the sand and rested, not even caring about the cuts in my feet. 

The Currents in Life

Like the current in this story, challenges and trials can come unexpectedly in our lives.

Sometimes we don’t even notice them, but when we do, they exhaust us, threaten to drown us, to pull us further away from safety and relaxation. 

So what do we do? We ho’omau. Keep swimming. 

These events don’t last forever. 

I knew I wouldn’t be stuck out in the sea forever.

If I just kept going, following the current until I reached shore, it would be over. 

This is the attitude of ho’omau. 

Life is difficult and uncomfortable. People, experiences, and situations can push us past our limits, but when we keep swimming, we can do it. 

It would have been easy for me to give up hope and just sink beneath the ocean.

But I knew we’d make it. I didn’t know exactly when, but I knew relief would come. And it did. 

Relief does come. Sometimes it doesn’t come as quickly as we’d like it to, but, with God, the peace does come. 

Here are some additional ways to help you implement the value of ho’omau in your life. 

Give yourself permission to accept that things are hard

Perhaps you know “that” person who says they’re ok, even when they’re not.

I was totally that person—and sometimes I still am.

Ho’omau isn’t just gritting your teeth and getting through—although, sometimes you really do need to survive—but ho’omau recognizes that things ARE hard. 

Ho’omau is truly valuing the situation and accepting that life challenges hurt. They’re uncomfortable, and difficult. 

When you give yourself permission to accept that things are hard, you give yourself permission to heal, to cope, and to keep going. 

You also give yourself credit for what you’re doing. We can “keep swimming” all our lives, feeling like we’re going to drown at any minute, but if we don’t give ourselves credit for how far we’ve come, we’ll never truly appreciate ourselves. 

Ho’omau. Keep going. Persevere. Be steady. You can do all these things better by giving yourself the credit you deserve. 

Create safe ground 

Turmoil in life is unavoidable, but we can prepare for it by creating safe ground. We can better endure by having something to stand on, just as I had the coral reef to walk to safety. 

Is there something or someone that you can turn to for peace, respite, and relief? For me, the answer is Jesus Christ. He is a solid foundation to provide the comfort I need in times of turmoil. 

When people and systems fail, when I feel low and depressed, I turn to Christ. He is constant. 

Ho’omau is the act of being constant, so how can we be more constant? For me it’s turning to someone who is constant. 

Create your safe ground by turning to the source of peace and relief. 

Keep hope 

Even when you feel in your darkest place, ho’omau. You can do it. I am rooting you on, sending good vibes and cheer, and God is always cheering you on. Trust him, turn to the Savior, and enduring to the end becomes a little easier. 

E ho’omau! 

Leialoha 

How do you ho’omau through your trials?

In the comments below, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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