Someone I met today is an old friend's son.

I was at the Memorial Day Lantern Festival at Ala Moana Beach Park. Once the ceremony finishes, people crowd the shores, waiting for a moment to release their lanterns into the sea. Written on them are their wishes and memories of loved ones gone by.

As I prepared to fight the crowds, I saw someone familiar to me. An old coworker from my last job. The funny thing about getting older is that you don't change much in looks. He certainly didn't. I approached him and enthusiastically said hi. We hadn't seen each other in years, and greeted each other as such.

His son was there, and he was much bigger than when I last saw him. Taller, and older of course. The funny thing about changing and growing up is that you also become more yourself. Some people don't like when I say that, because it means I don't think they've changed.

I assure you, I do. I know everyone changes, but there are parts of you that are always you. Like my friend's son, he was still as sweet and kind and respectful as I remembered. Did he change? Yes, he was more confident than when he was in high school. But the parts of him I remembered still were there, just expressed differently. Maybe that's all it is; the way we express ourselves changes even as some of our core remains the same.

We joined together and weaved through the sea of people. When we reached the shore, we watched as the waves ebbed and flowed, carrying our hopes for our loved ones gently from our hands.