The roles and influences of fathers and families, according to BYU–Hawaii students, come in the form of spending quality time, sharing stories or cooking together.
Storytelling
Telling stories is a major tradition for Abbie Stout’s family, a sophomore from Oregon majoring in biomedical science. She said, “My grandpa always shared stories about his childhood to his children, so my father carried that on. On Sunday nights, my mom would always take my little sister. My dad and I would stay home alone, and I would ask him for stories.”
Stout smiled wide and said, “Sometimes he’d even repeat some stories because I liked them so much. He is a really good storyteller, just as his dad.”
“It means a lot that my dad took time of his day. I’m sure there were a lot of other things he could have been doing on a Sunday night instead of telling me stories. It makes me feel really important to know that [my dad] really cared about me,” added Stout.
Swedish pancakes
According to Hanna Jansson, a freshman from Sweden majoring in business management, every Sunday her dad was usually busy with callings [for the Church], but he still took the time to make Swedish pancakes for his family before going to church.
“He’d spill the batter a lot. It’d be either too thin or to thick. He’d never actually nail it. The pancakes had even a piece of egg shell sometimes but we’d still eat them. It meant a lot that he took the time for us,” added Jansson with a touch of humor.
Camping in the mountains
Hunting deer and fly fishing was how Thomas Mars, a junior from Utah majoring in social work, said he would spend time with his grandfather and father.
He said the boys would make this outing every year. “We’d spend a week or a weekend. Those were sacred moments because my grandpa is not with us anymore, but it’s a strong memory I have of happy times in the mountains.
“I think we wouldn’t have had the same relationship if we hadn’t gone on those expeditions or had those traditions. It’s good way to escape worries and anxieties you have from day to day life to enjoy life together and bond.”
Ancestral lands
Edmund Saksak, a student from Vanuatu majoring in political science, said his father choose him to be the next land protector of their village. Saksak is responsible for assigning the lands to the members of all his extended family. His father would regularly bring him to the different lands and tell the stories on how his ancestors obtained them.
According to Saksak, it is common for chiefs to send pictures of the land to their children in order to encourage them to persevere and further their studies. This is so they may be better prepared to assume their future responsibilities. Saksak said he had also memorized the names and the stories of his chief ancestors ten generations before him.
Winter games
Every winter his father, uncles, and cousins would go skating to a frozen lake or a river, said Bryce Yang, a sophomore from China majoring in hospitality and tourism management. He said, “I think my father used to do the same with [his] grandfather when he was alive.” He said it was nice to spend time with his relatives as they played pranks with snow.
Honoring the dead
According to Kanel Mu Kwai Chan, a student from Tahiti majoring in biomedical science, families with Chinese backgrounds have the tradition of visiting the graves of their ancestors. Chan related they would bring food, candies and paper clothes as an offering to their ancestors.
Chan said the tradition helps to keep her extended family together because she did not get to see her relatives from Tahiti and New Caledonia often. They would come for the celebration.
Writer: Anel Canto