Beauty in the Ugly

By Kaʻena Cervantes
Student, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

The Maui Wildfires unleashed chaos and devastation and changed people’s lives forever. The fierce flames devoured acres of precious land in just a matter of seconds. People’s homes were lost, memories were lost, pets were lost, and worst of all, lives were lost. How could there be any beauty in what seems like the worst situation possible? Although at times it may seem impossible, there is beauty even in the ugliest times.

On the 13th of August, 2023, it was about one week since the Maui wildfires took over Lāhainā. It was a beautiful day; there were blue skies with not a cloud in sight. It was just past noon, and this was my first time seeing Lāhainā in person rather than through a phone screen. I clenched my boyfriend’s hand while riding in the backseat of his dad’s truck. As soon as we got on the Lāhainā Bypass, his cheerful, outgoing personality shifted to shyness. He sat there, staring out the window, with his hood on to hide his emotions. I knew this ride would be even harder for him, as it was where he grew up and sadly lost four family members to the fire.

As I looked to the left of the window, I could see the view of the entire Lāhainā. From a distance, it looked like a black-and-white scene straight out of a movie. I closed my eyes and painted a picture of what the view used to look like. Colorful and lively, with cars everywhere, boats covering the endless ocean, and historic buildings throughout. I held onto the picture in my mind and hoped to never forget its beauty. 

As we got even closer, the truck was full of silence, yet the emotions were so loud. With all the windows rolled up, the smokey smell still managed to creep inside. As I looked out the window, I saw my friend’s house, burnt to the ground. The house that always welcomed me whenever I was in Lāhainā. I usually couldn’t even see her house from the road, but now everything was just level. Past memories flashed through my head during the whole ride. The countless days at Baby Beach, the late-night strolls through Front Street, and the many stops at Nagasako General Store. Everywhere I looked, there were structures that had turned to rubble, ashes, and piles of wood and objects. It looked as if a bomb had gone off and destroyed everything in its path. Everything was gone; everything was unrecognizable.

The view of what used to be my friend’s house. Photo by Kaʻena Cervantes, taken on the 13th of August, 2023.

After finally passing through the horrific scenes, we reached Kāʻanapali, which was untouched and as beautiful as ever. I could finally see green trees thriving and breathe in fresh air. We were about five minutes away from my boyfriend’s house and passed Napili Market. I looked out and saw multiple tents outside the entire market. One tent sign read “Water,” the next read “Food,” and the next sign that stood out to me the most read “Donations” in a thick red font. I then looked down and saw endless amounts of donations. I realized this was a place for those affected to go for help. Numerous people were helping to distribute food and water and manage the donations. Everyone just helped in any way they could.

We then drove down further and came across another donation location. This place was known as “Kahana Boat Ramp,” and it was receiving donations by boat from all over the world since the roads were closed and access was not easy. I watched as they formed a line from the boat to the tent and handed each item to the person next to them. I was in awe. Everything looked so organized, and again, numerous workers were managing it all. Richard Seymour said, “Do we actually think beauty, or do we feel it?… I think it’s about feeling beauty.” At this very moment, I was feeling beauty. The feeling flowed through my body like a river and stuck with me. We then arrived at my boyfriend’s house, where I was able to reflect on it all.

I am a person who admires all things beautiful. I am always amazed at Mother Nature’s ability to make this world so beautiful. As Elizabeth Blackburn said, “Sometimes it can be found in the simplest manifestations of nature.” Whether it be a cotton candy sunset painted across the sky or even just a butterfly flying in my point of view, I am always inspired. Just like Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough said, “Beauty will always have the power to inspire us.” But everything I listed above is physical beauty. After being able to reflect on everything I saw that day, I realized beauty is so much more; I just have to look for it.

Some may view what happened to Lāhainā as horrifying and, overall, ugly. And I, myself, am guilty of thinking the same thing at first. But I realize now that this event has created so much beauty. As my classmate Breanna Rackliffe said, “Everyone looks at things their own way and has their own perception of what is going on.” Once I allowed myself to change my perspective, I was able to see the beauty. The heroes that jumped into action to help people escape the fire. The first responders who displayed their courage at the scariest times during the fire. And, most of all, the community coming together. The fires represent value within the Maui community. Without any questions asked, people stepped in and came together. Numerous people offered their homes for shelter, donated whatever they could, and even volunteered at all the many shelter locations that were set up. All these actions are symbols of beauty, yet they all seemed to be overpowered by the ugliness.

According to Denis Dutton, “We find beauty in something done well.” The community’s fast actions were very well done, and it is because of that I am able to recognize such beauty. As people banded together to protect our beloved island, the beauty of adaptation and resourcefulness emerged. The innovative solutions, knowledge sharing, and collaborative effort to lessen the flames’ damage demonstrated the human capacity to adapt in the face of adversity. Being able to physically see the hands of the community working together that day served as a reminder that beauty may be found even at the ugliest times.

Beauty is a complex concept that can have many perspectives. The fires served as a powerful reminder to me that beauty is not limited to the scenic or the visually pleasing; it can also be found in the midst of adversity. Like my classmate, Auliʻi Cosner said, “We can find something beautiful, even on the days when everything feels terrible.”

Works Cited

Cosner, Auli`i. “Discussion #1: Ten Poets.” Laulima Discussion. University of Hawaiʻi, 29 Aug. 2023. 21 Sep. 2023.

Dutton, Denis. “A Darwinian Theory of Beauty.” TED. YouTube, 16 Nov. 2010. 21 Sep. 2023.

Rackliffe, Breanna. “Discussion #1: Ten Poets.” Laulima Discussion. University of Hawaiʻi, 29 Aug. 2023. 21 Sep. 2023.

Seymour, Richard. “How Beauty Feels.” TED. YouTube, 11 Oct. 2011. 21 Sep. 2023.

Tyson, Neil deGrasse. “Why Is Beauty Important to Us?” New York Times. 7 Dec. 2019. 21 Sep. 2023.

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