Sponsored by Arcadia Family of Companies
Mellie Enos has been retired for 21 years, and now she spends her time volunteering by teaching the craft of ribbon lei making to kupuna. Community service has always been important to her, and she’s lived her life believing that when you give, you receive the blessings of God ten times more than what you gave.
For Enos, teaching kupuna to make lei is her way of giving back to the community. She teaches lessons at her house free of charge, or even at schools, libraries, and senior centers. She says teaching the skill to people young and old is important so they can continue to teach others.
“I do this to make seniors happy and be active in the retirement years,” she says. “When you make a lei and give it to somebody, it’s like expressing aloha.”
Enos was born in the Philippines in 1936. She then lived in Alaska for 11 years with her first husband, who she had two children with. Eventually, they ended up moving to Hawaii when he was ready to retire. She’s been living in the islands for 45 years now and loves every minute of it.
ADVERTISEMENT
“People are very lucky to have all the opportunities being offered,” she says. “In this state, it is always good to have chances to reach their goals. Not like in other countries where people are so poor and will never have the opportunities that we enjoy here to enrich our lives.”
Enos encourages others to focus on their dreams and what they want to achieve. She explains that while there are many ways of achieving your dreams, having a good outlook on life and maintaining a positive outlook are essential.
“Life has many ups and downs, but do not give up,” she says. Enos goes on to explain that there is always a reason that things might not go the way you want them to. “The saying goes, ‘Behind the clouds, the sun is still shining.'”
For more information: arcadia.org, FB: arcadiafamilyofcompanies, IG: arcadiafamilyofcompanies