As used by meteorologists it says that a butterfly flapping its wings in Japan can cause tornadoes in Texas. So we say a person shows aloha when they greet you warmly, when they give you a smile, when they help you out if you are in need, when they remember to thank you for a favor, when they act like a friend, when they forgive wrongs done to them. There is a sexual side to aloha, too, but it always implies a loving sexuality. The association between flowers and love is more than coincidental, since flowers are actually the sexual organs of plants. It is obvious that the ideas and actions behind aloha are not exclusive to Hawaii, and that is the point.
Flowers grow in other places besides the Hawaiian islands.
The flowers of love grow wild, and it is wonderful to encounter them by surprise. However, they can also be cultivated and shared more abundantly. Just as we raise flowers with the conscious intent to distribute them as widely as we can, so can we cultivate the practice of love for wider distribution. Before the group got too big I used to start each session by having each person present share their name, where they were from, and some one good thing that had happened to them recently. First time attendees often found it difficult to think of something good because our society subtly encourages us instead to share things that are going wrong.