Mauna Kea honi

As a young girl growing up in Texas, my mom remembers my grandmother making this special treat for her and her brothers. They moved away from Texas when she was only six years old and for some reason she never made the candy again.  About 20 years later, in 1984, my grandmother died of cancer.  My mother lived in Hawaii since 1968 and had never tasted anything as heavenly as the candy that my grandmother used to make.  Well, in 1998, she took a trip to visit her brother in Alaska. She was going through her mom's old family Bible, and there was this old candy recipe...handwritten by my grandmother. She returned to Hawaii and since 1998 she always made that special divinity candy for friends and family for the holidays. On March 21, 2002, my father, told her to sit down and listen to him. He proceeded to tell her that she should make the candy and sell it...she responded that he was nuts! How could she possibly be able to make and sell the candy? she thought. Then he said, "Look, I'm serious, you can sell it in the stores, on the internet, and eventually worldwide!"She really thought he had gone off his rocker! Then two days later, on March 23, 2002, he died unexpectedly of a massive heart attack. It was a shock to everyone! While at the hospital in Hilo they had his body placed in the chapel to await the arrival of myself and my brother from Honolulu, so everyone could say their last goodbyes. While in the chapel with his body lying there, it kept going over and over again in my mother's mind...as if he were talking to her..."Make your candy and sell it!"  Finally she said, "Okay, I'll do it!"  Then right there, in the chapel, it came to her to name the candy, "Mauna Kea Peaks." She didn't dare tell anyone what was going on in her mind for fear they would think she was going nuts! They arrived home that night very late, after putting everyone to bed, she couldn't sleep.  So she decided to check her email.  She was shocked to see an email from her husband...it was the first time in her life that he had ever sent her an email!  It was entitled, "Mauna Kea 2002." It was a beautiful picture of Mauna Kea covered with snow.  She had chicken skin on top of chicken skin!  She wept, and from that moment on she knew in her heart that "Mauna Kea Peaks Candy Company" would be a reality someday!  The reality became a possibility in 2023 as we rebranded to modernize and honor my parents' story.

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Mahalo nui loa to everyone for allowing me to share this special candy and her story with you...I hope it touched your soul. But most importantly,  I thank God for working in marvelous ways!