The University of Hawaii at Manoa Department of English has selected the 2021 Word of the Year for Hawaii: Care.

“Care is at the heart of everything that has transpired during the last year, whether in health care because of the pandemic or the kind of care for one another that various social justice movements have called for,” said Department Chair and Professor S. Shankar.

“We have had to make sure we engage in self-care even as we care for one another. We have had to be both careful and caring.”

Care follows the 2020 Hawaii Word of the Year: Resilience.

Why was “care” chosen?

“Communities throughout the state have been resilient throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, not to mention the everyday challenges that we have all persevered through in 2021,” the department explained.

“With different situations have come a need for additional levels of compassion and support. We all sometimes need that extra helping hand, whether it is from a food or clothing drive, helping to take care of a family member or supporting local businesses.”

Merriam-Webster selected “Vaccine” as its 2021 Word of the Year.

Hopefully, the word for 2022 will have nothing to do with COVID-19, and the pandemic will wane.

This year, let’s look ahead with optimism and hope for the future.

As a tight-knit community, let’s continue to care for each other and be thankful for living on Maui.