LINDSEY... “MAKAMAE”— (pronounced Ma-ka-my)—In Hawaiian, this means “MOST PRECIOUS ONE”.

Never did I imagine that one day I would be writing a eulogy for you, beloved hānai daughter and friend!

There’s so much I could say about you. So many stories I could share that would make your friends and family laugh and cry at the same time. However, I will do my best to make this as brief as possible. In ancient times, people grieved TOGETHER, not alone. There is such a beautiful, intimate tapestry of sharing happening around—and because of—You. Yes, You: Lindsey Vona, master net weaver, you are still weaving people together~! This is deeply touching and valuable, healing and transformative. The collective grief that we all share is overwhelming.

 The coconut trees at the front of the land are now more than thirty feet tall and producing beautiful coconuts. Nearly twenty years ago, you, Sonja, Jennifer and I were in Puna, visiting the Maku`u market one Sunday. We decided to go to a nearby beach and we noticed lots of sprouting coconuts beneath the mother trees. We all gathered sprouting coconuts in the pouring rain, tied them onto the top of my Subaru forester, and drove back to Ka`u excited to start our coconut gardens. Many of the other trees that we planted together back then are easily forty feet tall, and thriving.

Lindsey, most precious one, who quietly lived—and magnificently bloomed—often in inwardess, you are now receiving vast love and boundless blessings from so many loved ones! Unique friend, mentee a-n-d teacher, skillful apprentice, sacred mirror, joyous companion on the pathless journey, lover of poetry and shooting stars, loyal consort to human and four-legged creatures, savior of a wild raptor, deep-diving seeker and finder of ordinary miracles, extremely patient surfing instructor and computer wizard, masterful ping pong player, ecstatic walker of treasure hunts, one-of-a-kind impersonator of others... (remembering the time when you impersonated my step sister—and then me!)... unheralded bodhisattva, unwavering devotee of truth, graceful bestower of beauty and the living dharma, deeply gifted poet and singer/songwriter, graphic artist and musician, holy rebel, mischief-maker in the best of ways, innocent to the max–beneath a thin veneer of cleverness, igniter of awakening and sweet catalyst of change, steadfast inquirer into the nature of reality, blooming earth angel and eternal masterpiece of pure love, fantastic shape shifter and closet mystic, tree planter and badass rock mover, off the chart, undaunted Dreamer, and so much more—which words could never describe.....  You have gifted so many beings with your depth, love, humor and compassion; and with your Soetry (songs and poetry), with your profound understanding of impermanence and the importance of unconditional love.

This is the translation of the Maori song we used to sing together here in Hawai`i and one of the many songs I sang to you shortly before you exhaled your final breath. The song that brought tears to your eyes even though you were unconscious. These words speak of the love that you embodied, precious Lindsey; the immeasurable love that all who are gathered here today, celebrating you, are experiencing—and even those of us who are thousands of miles away. 

“The love that we are sharing today is not only a love of today, alone.

It is a love that has existed throughout time and it has always been; it has always been.

The love that we are sharing today is not only a love of today alone.

It is a love that will span into eternity and it shall always be; it shall Always be.”

I will be wearing flannel today, as Michelle suggested, in solidarity with your family and friends. Having lived in Hawai`i for more than thirty years, the only clothing I have in flannel is a pair of stellar pajamas! I’ll be wearing them in the garden, as I prepare the soil for your magnificent memorial/remembrance garden. I know, without a doubt, that you would have a good laugh. It reminds me of the time, many years ago, that several of us took a huge truckload of cut branches to the local dump. As we unloaded the truck, you noticed a large bag of clothes that someone had left by the dumpster. You excitedly opened it and started distributing wardrobes for each of us—with the seriousness of a costume designer—as if we were soon to perform in a Broadway show! You handed me a pink tutu and a brightly flowered silk blouse and told me to put them on over my tattered jeans and sleeveless seva shirt. I obeyed loyally and joyously, as did everyone else. We were so excited to see what you were about to concoct. You, the spontaneous jester and amazing choreographer of joy and magic! As we were assembling, patiently waiting for our specific roles, paying homage to You, our skilled and serious theater director, a friend of Sattway’s drove up; someone she hadn’t seen for many years. With total seriousness, following your lead, Sattway introduced us to her friend and when she pointed to me she said, “And this is Rashani Réa, our spiritual mentor”.   

Oh, the look on that woman’s face was indescribable, to say the least.

 For the rest of my life, I will be singing your praises. I will carry and share your legacy wherever I go. As Nicky and Kate will testify: you were already a magnificent living legend here at Kipukamaluhia. Everyone who comes here hears wonderful stories about you and Sonja–my first hanai daughters and remarkable apprentices, who were here at the very beginning, when this thriving eco sanctuary was simply an abandoned field surrounded by ancient, fallen stone walls

–Rashani Réa, May 12th, 2023