16/08/2026
The gift to Pāpātuānuku from Io - Part 2
"Rau Kawakawa"
💚 A Story of the Rau KAWAKAWA. What is your story? 💚
A gift from Io
to Papatūānuku,
when she was separated
from Ranginui.
A gift for her manawa heart,
that knew the pain of separation,
yet still opened
to the light.
Our heart is at the centre of our being. It beats continuously carrying the weight of life throughout our tinana body.
The Rau kawakawa,
heart-shaped like our ngākau,
carries a story of aroha,
of heartbreak,
of healing.
There is a maori whakatauki a proverb saying;
“Ko ngā kokonga o te whare ka kitea,
ko ngā kokonga o te ngākau e kore e kitea.”
The corners of a house can be seen,
but the corners of the heart cannot.
We cannot always see
what another person carries within.
The mamae,
the grief,
the heartbreak,
the silent battles
hidden within the ngākau.
Look closely at the kawakawa leaf and you can see its scars.
But with people,
the deepest wounds
are often unseen.
And still,
the leaf opens to the rā, the light
It receives the light.
It receives the warmth.
It continues to grow.
Perhaps that is the lesson for us:
Tiakina tō manawa— protect your heart,
but don't close it forever.
Be gentle with the hearts
you cannot see inside.
And allow your own heart
to open to the māramatanga,
to aroha,
to healing.
Because even a wounded ngākau can still grow,
still love, and still turn towards the light.
Rau Kawakawa—
a reminder that we cannot always see what the heart carries, but we can choose to meet one another with aroha.
Like, follow & share for more.
What does Kawakawa mean for you?
Share your thoughts in the comments.
Mauri Ora 💯
Acknowledgement to Whaea Theresa Reihana and her beautiful paintings.
