A young woman stands in front of a panel of jury. She takes one last deep breath before she starts talking.
"Good afternoon. I've been asked to explain what family meant. I know you all expecting some kind of long speech and technicalities, but I've decided to tell you a story."
She takes a pause, waiting to see if someone would interrupt her. When nobody does, she smiles confidently and resumes with her speech.
"When I was five, my kindergarten teacher asked me to draw a picture of my family. I did as every other kids, I draw myself in the middle with my mom on a side and my dad on the other. That was my family.
"At six years old, I understood that my family was bigger than that. There was my grandmother on my mother side for starter. And there was the big family that is the Williams, my grandparents, my numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. My parents would tease each other. My Danno, that's my dad, would say mom's family was microscopically small and my mom would say dad's family was the image of chaos. Let me tell you she didn't know what chaos was yet.
"After my seventh birthday, the loving teasing changed into big fights. After my parents' divorce, my teacher asked me to draw a picture of my family. I was still in the middle of the picture, but my parents were at the extremities of the paper. My family was broken and I didn't think I'd have one again.
"That's when my mom met Stan. They fell in love and they got married. For me it meant that I had one other person to draw on the pictures: Step-Stan. Don't get me wrong, I liked Step-Stan, but not as much as my mother would have love. I also understand that I was my Danno's only family.
"A couple months later, my mother, Step-Stan and I moved here, to Honolulu. I liked the sun, the ocean and the beach, but I hated not to have a father. That is until my father decided to move here to. My Danno left all he knew, New Jersey, his big intruding family and his pizzas without pineapple on it for me.
"Even though he was with me, I knew he wasn't totally happy. And that's when Steven McGarrett made his place in my Danno's life. Once while I was at Danno's I caught him in a conversation with Nana Williams. He was telling her that Steve was a danger for the population. That he was a crazy, Rambo on steroids Army guy. If Steve had been, he would have said "I'm in the Navy Danny, in the freaking Navy. He also said he wouldn't let him anywhere near me in case he blew something up. But with Steve came a lot more than explosions.
"There was Chin Ho Kelly. Uncle Chin isn't big on talking. He's the silent one. He was HPD until they accused him to be dirty. His own family turned his back on him, everyone except an aunt and a cousin. That cousin is Kono Kalakaua. When I met Aunt Kono I knew she was the kind of person I wanted to be later. Kono is smart, beautiful and dangerous. Danno always say that she's the female version of Steve. You know them too. They're 5-0 and I think everybody knows 5-0 on this Island. They became my dad's ohana and at the same time, mine too.
"To 5-0, we had to add others. First, there's Kamekona. I'm sure you know him too. Kamekona owns Waiola Shave Ice. He became ohana when he played Santa Claus for my first Christmas in Hawaii. There's also Mary-Ann. She's Steve younger sister. She was the only family he had left, but now he has all of us.
"But this family changed when Danno and Steve finally opened their eyes. You know, after three years where people asked them for how long they had been married, you'd think they would have understand faster.
"I think I knew from the started that they loved each other. It's probably because of the sweet, loving teasing they did, just like my parents used to do. So when they finally announced they were getting together, I think the whole island thought: finally! Aunt Kono told me a lot of money changed hands that day. But even more was exchanged when they announced they were getting married. Steve asked Danno while they were running away from a building which was meant to blow up. Danno always tease him about it. But their relationship wasn't normal so why would the proposal be normal?
"At that wedding, Steve became papa. And when I draw family pictures after that, there was me in the middle. Mom, Step-Stan and my half-sibling were on a side. The other side was crowed: Danno, Papa, Uncle Chin, Aunt Kono, Aunt Mary-Ann and Kamekona were there.
"When I drew that picture, it was the first time I got into a fight. One girl at school told me that it wasn't a family. That this was weird and freak. I hit her. When papa and Danno got to school, I was crying every tear I had. This was my family, my ohana.
"Today, my ohana counts three new members: Lindsay who's 15, Lilo who's 10 and Matt who's 3. They were abandoned kids that my dads took in. We're ohana.
"And I know that this isn't what you expected. When I received my letter for the admission interview, I had two subjects I could talk about: family and inspiration. But you see, for me, those two things are bound to each other. My family is what inspire me. They take me further than I ever thought I would. And I know that even if I told them not to, they're probably sitting outside the building, waiting for me to come out. All of them: Danno, Papa, Uncle Chin, Aunt Kono, Aunt Mary-Ann, Kamekona, Lindsay, Lilo and Matt.
"And because I know what family is, because I know it's not always easy and normal, I know I can do this. I will work harder than any other student you've had before. I will be the best family lawyer Hawaii has never known."
The young woman stops talking and looks to the panel of jury. The one in the center sighs and talks.
"Miss Williams, you do realize that this was a really unorthodox presentation?"
"With all due respect, unorthodox is the polite word use to describe my family, sir."
"Okay then. You can go"
Grace Williams makes her way toward the door. The different judges talk together. She has her hand on the doorknob when a voice stops her.
"Miss Williams?"
"Yes." She asked, turning around.
"It's not official yet. But welcome in law school."
The smile that shows up on the Grace Williams' face lightens up the room as she runs toward the exit where her ohana is waiting for her.
So, what did you think?
Love, Anne