Mālama is the Hawaiian word “to care for and protect.” You’ll commonly hear the word mālama associated with the phrase, “Mālama ka ‘aina,” meaning to take care of the land.

Hawaiians, to this day, love, preserve, and protect the land. It is the source of our living. If we take care of it, it will take care of us.

The word mālama can be used in other ways too. If you’re in Hawaii and are saying goodbye to someone, they might tell you, “Mālama pono” meaning to “watch out” or “be careful.” 

Another common phrase is “Mālama Honua” which means to take care of the earth. When we protect the planet, we keep it well for future generations.

Mālama can also mean tending to others. Those who live the value of mālama have a bigger perspective. They see that every person suffers from something and needs nurturing and love. These attributes may come naturally to some of us, but, for others, these are skills that take time and practice to develop.

When we mālama, see the needs of others, the world, and ourselves, and we respond responsibly.

Like many of the other Hawaiian values, we can implement the value of mālama in our lives through service, protecting, and nurturing. An interesting thing about mālama is that when we care for others, we actually provide healing for ourselves too.

It’s an interesting paradox, but makes sense. After all, Christ said that “…whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it” (Luke 9:24).

When we actively seek opportunities to care for others, we find ourselves, as well as purpose and meaning in our lives.

Here are other ways to live the value of mālama.

Mālama is Selfless Service

When I was about 16 years old, I remember being hungry a lot because we lived in poverty. For many nights, mom put random things together for dinner. She stretched out the budget by making things homemade, and we usually ate every last crumb of our meals. 

We were faithful church members and made friendships with a lot of people there. One of the friendships was with full filipino aunty Fabi, who just married full Mexican Uncle Al. They invited us to their house and whenever they did, there was guaranteed to be a lot of food. 

Uncle Al made delicious, authentic Mexican food, and Aunty Fabi made mouth-watering, authentic Filipino food. Both were expert cooks. 

“You eat like birds,” Uncle Al teased when our stomachs filled up fast at his house. There were five of us, but we barely made a dent to the tray of enchiladas. Our stomachs were small. 

Uncle Al and Aunt Fabi exemplified mālama to me. They served and cared for us, when our own parents couldn’t do that for us: Emotionally, Uncle Al would crack jokes to make us laugh; Physically, they both fed us; and mentally, they genuinely asked about our school activities and whereabouts. 

Mālama gives all… there’s no holding back.

One day, my older sister complained there was no food in the house. She was the most vocal of the siblings, brave enough to argue back with dad. I think God sent angels to help us because several hours later, Uncle Al showed up with a huge tray of enchiladas. 

Mālama. Care. Tend. Protect. Preserve. Uncle Al and Aunt Fabi probably had no idea what a difference they made… they were just doing their best to care for others. When we live with an attitude of mālama, we can spread aloha in so many ways… ways that we didn’t even know were possible.

Honor yourself and others 

Mālama means to take care of yourself too. If you don’t take care of your emotional, physical, and spiritual needs, it is difficult to serve others. Honor your personal dignity by trying self care activities and refueling your spirit. 

You honor others when you seek self improvement and try to become your best self. 

Mālama ka ‘aina 

Take care of the land. As I said earlier, when you take care of the land, it takes care of you. In the Hawaiian saying, “Nana i ke kumu” we learn to look to the land as a source of knowledge, inspiration, and physical nourishment. 

When we care for and respect the land and its creatures, it does the same for us. It teaches us valuable life lessons and provides peace. 

I have learned many things from observing God’s creations, especially the sea turtles in Hilo. During a trying time in my life, I sat at the beach every morning, watching the sea turtles swim in from the ocean. Their gracious presence, wise eyes, and kind spirits taught me a lot of life lessons.

From interacting with and caring for God’s creations, I felt nurtured and refreshed in return.

If you want to support wildlife conservation efforts, I highly encourage you to check out Fahlo. When you buy a bracelet from Fahlo, you support a wildlife conservation cause (depending on which animal bracelet you get!) and then receive your very own animal to track! I absolutely love my turtle bracelets, which reminds me to malama the earth. 🙂

Use my code LEIALOHA20 to receive 20% off your order! Check out Fahlo!

Mālama inspires us to protect the innocent

There are a lot of terrible things going on in the world today, whether we want to turn a blind eye to it or not: human trafficking, racism, abortion, abuse, poverty, starvation, etc.

We can’t do everything for everyone, but we can support causes we feel passionately about, whether that’s through raising awareness, educating ourselves, or volunteering time, money, or resources.

When we protect the innocent, we honor the value of human life. We live a pono life, restoring balance in the world.

Watch this video to learn more about why we should fight against abortion: 2,363

Also please consider donating to help end child trafficking: O.U.R.

Mālama is loving aloha

Mālama is an inspiring Hawaiian value that, when practiced, can bring a lot of joy. I’m sure Uncle Al and Aunt Fabi found joy in serving our family. Their food, made with love, brought us joy too.

Can you imagine what the world would be like if we all cared for one another a little more? If we served a little more? It doesn’t even have to be huge. Even just having a lighthearted conversation with a cashier, a smile to a stranger, or a quiet service to a family member can foster the value of mālama in our homes and lives.

When we learn to mālama, we invite the constant flow of aloha, love, into our lives, thereby creating paradise right where we are. 

With aloha, 

Leialoha  

If you want to bring more aloha into your home, check out my free ebook: Bringing Aloha Home

It’s your turn!

If you have any other ideas on how to implement the value of mālama, let me know in the comments below! 🙂

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