My wife Alani and I are in our mid-20s and have been married for a year and a half. Alani is originally from Hawaii, where I had never been until we took a vacation trip there last month to visit her family.

Naturally I was a little nervous about meeting my in-laws for the first time, but they turned out to be so nice and friendly that I quickly felt at home.

One morning a few days into our stay, I was sitting at the kitchen table, checking my e-mail. It was still early, and my wife and her family were just getting up, while the family maid, Magda, was making preparations for breakfast. At one point I looked up from my i-Pad to find Magda looking at me somewhat oddly. When I asked her if anything was wrong, she just shook her head and turned back to her cooking.

At that point I couldn’t help reflecting... Read More