How I’m doing as a Lāhainā born and raised after the fire

When people ask, "how are you?"

I never know how to respond.

I'm not fantastic. I'm not great. I'm not good.

In all honesty, I think those words will never be the same again in my vocabulary.

I'm in a constant state of mourning. We all are.

Our entire hometown of Lāhainā is gone and so many people lost their lives, jobs, and their homes.

It's been two months since the fire. Simultaneously the shortest and longest two months.

People are homeless and are being forced to leave the hotels that they have been living in since the fire that took our entire town, so that tourists can return.

No absolutely not. Not okay. Not okay at all.

Let us mourn. Let us grieve. Leave us alone.