tropical moms | callie & nikita - Cadencia Photography

name: Callie Mahoney
daughter: Nikita Tranchant
age: 4

where do you live on Maui: On Maui we live in Haiku, but I was born on the west side and lived all over. We now live part-time in Paris where my daughter was born.

occupation: I am mostly a full time mom and do a variety of art when time permits.

what are you passionate about? I think were both passionate about nature art and music. Circumstances make travel a big part of our repertoire which is not always our passion, but almost always enjoyed once the roads been traveled;)

why did you choose to raise your children on Maui?: I always imagined raising my child/children on Maui from before I was ever ready to have them, I guess because I always felt blessed to have been raised there myself. The reasons being, the community aspect — which in a lot if places and groups has a strong bond of families and women who share and support each other and their children from prenatal to parenting. It provides each other with an informed and diverse amount of information and options for anything… from birthing to education and mental or physical evolution throughout their lives in a mostly healthy (if that’s your style) and holistic way.

Also being surrounded by a potent energetic landscape that provides an easy access to know, love, understand and participate in nature and our planet, which is one of the most important issues a child should grow up knowing about. Maui allows that contact in an organic way that the child seamlessly evolves with.

Our children have a way of living and moving in nature; from the ocean to the jungle that blends and shows how they’ve been in tune with the rocks as they rock hop, or know when it is safe to enter the water by reading the movements. I think it’s an invaluable tool in their lives and beautiful to see. City children have a different and apparent less fluid interaction when they are in nature that can be softened and comforted from time in a natural environment, but is less of an effort for most island children to connect with.

Traveling has also shown me that we are so blessed to live somewhere that is relatively extremely safe without war and inescapable racism and hate. We are blessed to be surrounded by so many people who are consciously aware of love and compassion towards each other and are not afraid to express it or taught to with hold it. Our children have less of a historical burden that suppresses them to those constraints through the generations of people who have implanted in the islands to escape those kinds of problems.

what is the best part about being a momma?: The best part of being a mamma is feeling unconditional love that is shared with your children and spreads through your family. Our children bring light wherever it’s needed, sometimes with an expression, comment or an act of affection that comes so easily! They feel us without having to explain anything to them and love us through it all. They are a reflection of us and show where you have succeeded or where there is room for improvement. It’s a personal guru that you get for just loving them back.

what’s your favorite thing to do as a family?: My favorite thing to do as a family is to be together. Wherever we are the most fulfilling moments that brings all of the benefits of having children together and out to enjoy is when the family is there to share laugh and appreciate the history of our own generations that can be seen in these little beings.