I used to be a concierge with Expedia at the Aston Waikiki Beach. One of the perks of the jobs, and there were lots, was being invited to concierge events like breakfast at Duke’s.
One time they gave us each a milk bottle filled with their homemade granola. There was also a buffet, but the granola and yogurt were my favorite.
Packing away a lifetime of memories when you are going from Hawaii to Wisconsin was hard. I left far more than I could ever have afforded to bring. And then the movers from hell decided that losing, breaking, and stealing our items was a thing.
My two bottles survived! So I go to Costco and buy my coffee creamer and pour it into my bottle. And every morning I use my bottle and I see the Duke’s logo. Some days I tear up for all I lost in that horrible wreck that destroyed my life. Other days I look at that logo and I remember the aloha, the laughter, the music, the joy of living in Hawaii.
It’s a small thing. Most people would not have bothered to bring a milk bottle all the way to the dairy state. The irony is not lost on me.
But so often I think, lucky I lived Hawaii.
