CJay Parel

Brightest solar return blessings to my beautiful queen @_holding.space_ ❤️‍🔥 I’m endlessly grateful to grow beside you — to love you, dream with you, and to witness the life we are gently calling into existence together. Thank you for being my balance, my anchor and my fire. You light up every cell in my being and fill me with joy, making anything seem possible. I love you so much 😘✨

Happy Golden Birthday, our sweet Eáko Zyon. Four on January 4—you’re a blessing! Not so long ago, we were surrounding you with prayers—welcoming you earthside, holding hope and love through your surgeries. And somehow, here we are. Time has flown, but what a beautiful flight it’s been. Four years in and living the best life! You are both the warrior and the wise one, oh but also the wildest one—my last likkle sidekick. We love seeing the world through your eyes and walking beside you as we discover it together. I always dreamt of moving to Hawai‘i, but it was you who made that dream real. This year of four feels exciting and tender all at once. Letting go of the baby EZ stages was hard—but this season with you? Oh, I wish I could hold it forever. You’ve taught me how to slow down more, be fully present, and truly thrive rather than survive. From spotting construction trucks and rescue vehicles on island roads, to loud calls for help to wipe your poopy butt, starting school, learning how to speak in Filipino and Hawaiian, and those sweet “thank you mama” moments—gosh your silly appreciative of the little things self amazes me. I love cooking breakfast together, ocean swims, nature walks, bedtime cuddles—these are the moments that fill my heart. Your Kuyas adore you and our whole ʻohana feels the magic from you being added on. We are so forever grateful that Daddy’s heart yearned to become a dad and asked for you to be brought earthside. My heart lights up seeing Daddy have the very best likkle partner. You are always ready to jump in and help with daddy’s tools and the garden. Our ʻohana is forever grateful you chose us. You’re our special gift and a bright light in our lives. Soon, you’ll be back on a plane—off to “stay at another hotel,” just like you asked for your wish. I can’t wait to share all the surprises we’ve planned for your 4th birthday! Big mahalo our beloved, EZ, for blessing us with your beautiful spirit. Always know how deeply loved you are—exactly as you are. Mama is always here for you. Mama will always support you. Mama will always be your best friend and biggest fan. I love you so so so much! Thank you for being born. 🤍

(っ˶ ˘ ᵕ˘)ˆᵕ ˆ˶ς) ⋆˚.*･⟡｡ﾟ 2025 til ♾️ ｡ﾟ⟡･*.⋆˚

Release 2 Receive ❤️‍🔥✨ 📍 Halema'um'a'u Crater, Mt. Kīlauea Volcano

What a truly auspicious alignment to relocate to Hawaii during Filipino American History Month 🤎🇵🇭✨ The signal feels stronger than ever. The land is channeling the memories and motions of my ancestors. Their sweat has watered the roots of these trees and fruits. They’re making me remember. Their prayers are pulling me back to the past, pacifying me in the present and propelling me into the future. The moment we touched down on this island @_holding.space_ sat down with my parents and I, and started to do what she magically does best… connect the dots. She uncovered rich history on both sides of my lineage that trace back to Hawaii. We learned that my great lolo Sebastian Tomas (my mother’s grandfather) immigrated from Piddig, Ilocos Norte to Hawaii for decades to work for the Hawaiian Sugar Co. He traveled back and forth from the age of 18 to 45, laboring and sending money back home to the Philippines, creating a legacy of farming on two different islands. To my surprise we also learned that my lolo Maurice Parel (my father’s father), his brother Julian Parel and their dad Pedro Parel (my great grandfather) traveled from Binalonan, Pangasinan to work on the Lihue Plantation and the Waipio Pineapple Plantation, after serving and surviving on the frontlines of WWII, as part of the 1st Filipino Infantry Regiment. As I sit and type this out, it’s tripping me out just thinking about the synchronicities that brought us back here… to the same pathways… to the same practices. To continue the existence of our forebears... In a different place, in a different time, we still share the same dreams. I hold the highest honor to bring both of my parents back to the soil that their family tilled and to continue the legacy through EZ. When Tiffany and I brought him into this existence we called him forth with the power of a million ancestors. I had no idea that we’d uncover this connection but it’s so clear now that they’ve been guiding us here all along 🙏🏽

COME BUY, SAY HI & GIVE US A HUG GOODBYE 😭💞 [Not gonna lie… we don’t believe in goodbyes, but we’re migrating to Hawaii! We will deeply miss our mainland family & this may be the last time we’ll get to see you before we shift dimensions.] MOVING off the mainland SALE Saturday and Sunday September 14th - 15th Special Guest on Sunday: @titorudys halo-halo so you can chill 🍧 9am [PST] Island time — no early birds! 2744 Daisy Ave Long Beach, CA 90806

We made a plan to get here, but it turns out God’s plan was better. To be WILD, FREE & LOVING. The time is now. An altar for all. But first — for our family. 🤍

IYKYK 🤍

Resetting the clock to Rebalance our intentions to Remember our blessings to Reiterate our presence to Release our conditioning to Relinquish our fears to Refine our love to Resist the least to Receive the most 🙏🏽

2023 Reflections ✨(flashback to Big Sur 5 months ago)

Sacred Pilgrimage on this Autumnal Equinox I learned all of what is quoted below after we visited the sacred mountain of Iao Valley. We originally were going to drive the Road to Hana, but intense rain shifted our plans. Awe and chills moved through me as information of Ancient Hawai’i Autumnal Equinox rituals were so closely related to how we spent time on the mountain in reverence today. The way spirit, ancestors redirected, guided our family without us having prior knowledge of the ceremonies here. Adorned in my mom’s favorite culottes and being so close to the heavens, I was united with her ancestral presence as she hugged us in every wrapping of the wind and shared a duet with EZ. In gratitude for this symbolism that life truly is a ceremony. “Mountain energy has inspired ancient Hawaiian culture, its cosmology, for millennia. The whole mountain is a sacred outdoor temple, the piko (top of the summit) is the altar of the island, the umbilical cord where Wakea (Sky Father) and Papahānaumoku (Earth Mother) are connected. Offerings are made to the ‘aumakua (spiritual ancestors) at the altar. The autumnal equinox, one of the semi-annual days of equal daylight and night, represents a perfect balancing of natural forces. The sacred gather on the mountain on this day in ceremony. Standing at the summit, each person stands for something larger than herself or himself — for the sun, for the ‘āina, for each other, for the world. Every year the Ali’i (chiefs) and spiritual leaders give honor to someone of good heart, surrounded by ‘ohana, thus completing the closing of the equinox ceremony. They sit around stone altars, of ti and taro leaf, honoring a primary concept permeating Hawaiian culture: “Aloha ‘āina,” love of the land.” I feel so grateful to welcome the beautiful days of early autumn on this sacred ‘aina and share it with ‘ohana. For as the Hawaiian elders say, “Sacred landscape is created, but it is also discovered. It emanates from life itself and gives us breath to fulfill our mission. We need enlightenment as much as anybody. Let’s ask Akua (Creator) to help us grow stronger, with bigger hearts. Remembering the breath of man is the breath of earth.”

It is through the power of Love that we are transformed into Light, and will return home again. 1/ altar ritual & prayer; in reverence honoring new ancestors & survivors  2/ entrance to Lāhainā Memorial 3/ prayers & offerings at Lāhainā Memorial: one cross for each person lost 4/ signing up to volunteer w/ Red Cross at a hotel housing 800 displaced from the fire 5/ holding space for healing at the Hawak Kamay Filipino Fair this Sat-Sept. 23 at the Lāhainā  Civic Center for those affected by the fires; maraming salamat to the Director of the Maui Filipino Chamber of Commerce @keeet for welcoming me 6/ my family & I giving Reiki to the 150 y/o Lāhainā Banyan Tree in 2020 7/ new sprouting leaves at the Banyan Tree after burning 8/ sunset at Front Street Lāhainā in 2020 9/ sitting w/ the altar as my family get to know the ‘aina that has nurtured me 10/ rainbow appears after we prayed at the altar You are ancient, Hawai’i. You will rise from these ashes into the kingdom that you are, Lāhainā. Your ancestors and descendants have been claiming back their land, and you have received it again. An inspiration to the world to be in harmony, to come up with solutions together, to heal differences and see the truth. With the diversity in today’s world, we need lōkahi more than ever. The strong deep roots of your Banyan tree, and sprouting of new leaves as it resurrects, is the symbol of your REBIRTH.   Maui, you are magic — Aloha Ke Akua (the breath of life) Thank you for welcoming me time n time again, and especially now. To return and walk worthy of the calling because this is what truly matters. You have brought joy and healing to my life, especially during times of grief and transformation. And what I have learned from grief is that grief isn’t something you can go under, around or over; it is something you must go through. We know it can be tough to ask for help, especially when it comes to Filipinos. hindi mo kailangang dumaan dito mag-isa. (you do not have to go through this alone) nandito kami para tumulong. (we are here to help) Thank you for allowing me/us to hold space for you. I am here to kōkua, to reciprocate, to serve you. to care for & love you.