Capturing the Moment

  40,000 people gathered in Ala Moana Beach park this memorial day for one of the most moving and peaceful celebrations I have ever witnessed. The Lantern Floating festival here in Oahu, HI has become a major attraction. Over 6,000 paper lanterns were created and then just after sunset people made their way down to the water where they set their lanterns afloat.   The lanterns were covered with the names of lost loved ones; grandparents, parents, siblings, friends, even pets. Messages to the deceased filled the empty spaces on the lanterns. Not wanting to litter the ocean with debris, even degradable debris, all the lanterns were corralled at the mouth of the bay. The floating lanterns of the flying kind were outlawed, although I saw a few lifting off after most people had already finished and turned towards the parking lots. One of my favorite images of the night was two people lighting up one of these flying lanterns and watching the concentration as their faces wer...