Ohana means no one gets left behind.
Years ago I took my kids to see the movie “Lilo and Stich”. It’s set in Hawaii and revolves around the theme of Ohana. According to Wikipedia, “Part of Hawaiian culture, ʻohana means family in an extended sense of the term including blood-related, adoptive or intentional. It emphasizes that family are bound together and members must cooperate and remember one another.”
Recently this phrase has been coming to mind a lot as I look forward to my son’s future. My son is 17 and Autistic so instead of asking, “Where is he going to college?” people are asking, “Where is he going to live?”
When did our culture decide that children must move out on their own? When did it become “over-protective” for a parent to “allow” their child to live “at home”? When did it become a bad thing?
Ok, no, I don’t plan on supporting him financially. I do believe that a child needs to be taught how to be self-sufficient and self-supporting (if they are capable), no matter where they call home. But I don’t believe that a nuclear family home is better than an extended family home – whether the family member is developmentally disabled or not.
I teach Matthew that the choice will be his. But that family means we are bound together. Family means no one gets left behind. Whether they live together or separately.
