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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Nalani Choy finds lots to take joy in

 •  Na Leo gals open up on life as mommies

By Esme Infante Nii
HawaiiMoms.com Editor

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Na Leo Pilimehana member Nalani Choy, right, pauses with her son, Kaha'i, and her mother, Betty Jenkins, who holds a portrait of Choy's grandfather, Richmond Ellis. Writing exclusively for HawaiiMoms.com, Choy said Jenkins is her role model.

Courtesy of Nalani Choy

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT

The women of Na Leo are being featured this week as part of "Inspiring Moms," HawaiiMoms.com's occasional spotlight on prominent Island women. The idea behind "Inspiring Moms" is that all moms can learn from each other's wisdom and examples. The schedule:

  • Angela Morales: yesterday

  • Nalani Choy: today

  • Lehua Heine: tomorrow

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    When you're as busy as mom, wife, businesswoman, soccer player and Na Leo Pilimehana singer-songwriter Nalani Choy, how do keep your head straight?

    Choy says she tries hard to keep an attitude of gratitude — focusing on the stuff that really matters, on "the things that give us real joy," she says in an essay she's written exclusively for HawaiiMoms.com.

    "I'm thankful for a noisy household even when I think I want it to be quiet," she writes. "I'm thankful for a daughter who still holds my hand in public, and for sons who carry the heavy stuff without being asked. I'm thankful that I still have my health (albeit different when you reach your 40s!) and my mind (most of the time)."

    To read Choy's wry, warmhearted essay in its entirety, check out www.HawaiiMoms.com. With her narrative, you'll find:

  • Photos from Choy's personal archive,

  • A bio box of tidbits about Choy, and

  • A music video that revisits "Local Boys," the original ditty that first vaulted the group to fame back in 1984. Students from La Pietra-Hawaii School for Girls created the remake.

    Visitors to the Web site are encouraged to post their reactions in a discussion board, joining in conversations with Choy and the other band members.

    Reach Esme Infante Nii at enii@honoluluadvertiser.com.