Heritage and “A Tie That Means Something”

You guys! So many beautiful and exciting things came into our home last month, and I am so excited to begin sharing them with all of you! This gorgeous gift from Statesman Ties was the first to arrive, and I have so much to say about it, I don’t even know where to begin.

A close-up of Skyler’s gift.

At BYU-Hawaii, Skyler and I had the blessing of being surrounded by so many world cultures. After our time creating lasting friendships and working in the Polynesian Cultural Center, we really feel that we carry a small piece of the spirit of Polynesia in our hearts.

Something that always struck me about our friends was their knowledge of their ancestors and their stories. They always knew who, what, where and when! They celebrated and honored not only where they came from, but also WHO they came from. I hope that is a tradition we can carry on with our own family.

The BYU-Hawaii flag circle, representing the 75+ world cultures at the university.I believe that every family has a story to tell. A story of trials, mountains moved by faith, and the courage it took to BE. When I think of teaching the story of our family to our children, I can’t help but think of our grandmothers. Women who I look up to and hope to keep alive in our children’s memories. I hope to instill in them a desire to know their ancestors and remember their experiences.I found that same desire to remember in the mission of Statesman Ties. I love their tag line: “A Tie That Means Something.” When I was choosing a tie for Skyler -guys, so many terrific options- I started thinking about our home here in Idaho, then I thought of the profound effect his mission experiences had on him while serving in France. I started to ponder what each tie would mean to him, and ultimately we ended up choosing the South Korea tie together.

Skyler proudly wore his Statesman Tie to church on Sunday.

Many people do not know that Skyler is half Korean – 1/4 North, and 1/4 South. His grandmother actually escaped to South Korea from North Korea as a teenager seeking political and religious asylum. Her family had converted to Christianity, and her father, a doctor and prominent member of the community, was jailed several times for refusing to promote communism.

When I saw on their website that Statesman Ties can add a customized message, I knew I wanted to add something to pay homage to all of our ancestors. The owner’s amazing wife hand sewed the customized embroidery and tag on the back of the tie with “We all bear within us those who came before,” adapted from this Liam Callanan quote: “We all carry, inside us, people who came before us.”