Cool Bloom Club

As we walked into the luau they placed a flowered lei around my neck. It was beautiful, made of purple orchids. I grew up in Southern California and I knew lots of Hawaiians and Samoans. I have been around and known of Polynesian traditions my whole life, but, no one has ever given me a real flower lei before.

I was wearing a long flowered dress with my hair flowing and held back with a flower on the left side. I felt pretty. I was able to wear the lei on the plane ride home. When we were in Dallas a little girl with stars in her eyes walked up to me and told me I looked pretty. In a whisper see told me "You went to Hawaii!!" The flight attendant told me my flowers were pretty and asked if I had a good time in Hawaii.

It was hot in Hawaii. It was warm on the plane for the 4 hours we sat on the runway with mechanical problems. It was hot when we got home. I now know why the Hawaiians wear a flower lei--it keeps you cool when it is hot. Those fresh flowers felt so good in the heat and cooled me off. By the time we got home my lei was pretty wilted--it matched me after the overnight 18 hour trip. I put it in a bowl of water and it perked right up again--just like I did after a good nights rest.

Do you think people will think I am odd if I start wearing a flower lei on a hot and humid summer afternoon to keep myself cool?? Maybe I will start a new trend here on the mainland. Want to be in the Summer Cool Bloom Club with me?? It will be fun and we can all feel pretty together.