Page 11 - MidWeek - Dec 14, 2022

Establishing traditions and cultural rituals are vital to creating a coherent sense of who and what one’s family represents, as well as one’s identity. With today’s hectic lifestyle and FOMO (fear of missing out) attitudes, some miss out on the nuanced beauty of the world around them and the pleasure of sharing quality time with family. They unwittingly trade those things for their next big adventure or newest selfie-gram fad in pursuit of more attention from their social mediaverse.
Norman Rockwell’s depiction of traditional nightly dinners and Sunday church is no longer the norm. Fast-food options, drive- thru weddings and TV shows/ movies on demand are all products of the “I want it now” generation. Does that mean many of our important family traditions and cultural rituals have been lost? Absolutely not! The things we do together as a family on a regular basis become
our new rituals and traditions. At a recent youth meeting I attended, a young adult male hugged, kissed and told his mother “I love you” before leaving. Another mother was so impressed that she asked if the mom made him do it. She shared that her own son would do that in private but definitely not in front of other kids. Another father said his son is so embarrassed to be seen with him that he has to drop him off a block away from
school.
The woman who was hugged,
kissed and told “I love you” by her son said she actually did makehimdoit—inaway.Inthe past, she always requested that he hug, kiss and say “I love you” to her before leaving, and over the years, it became an automatic behavior.
The old adage “you get what you inspect, not what you expect” seems very relevant here. If you want something to happen but make no effort toward that goal,
December 14, 2022 MIDWEEK 11
PAULETTE ITO
SVP Marketing
Hawaiian Financial Federal Credit Union
Traditions Paulette Ito
it will never come to fruition. Simply wishing and hoping will not help. However, if you clearly communicate your wishes and work toward achieving them, you just might get results — like the mom who requested a specif ic behavior from her child. And, like her, you must consciously work at it, building your own cultural rituals unique to you and your ‘ohana.
The “Get Your House In Order” program helps you document your legacy and family’s cultural rituals through the Ho‘okele personal planning guidebook. As you f ill out the booklet, you will be asked about
your cultural traditions and to consider your legacy. This is the time to reflect deeply on what you do as a family and how you celebrate together. It is also time to “inspect what you expect.”
Earlier in this series, I wrote about my family’s holiday traditions in Hilo. These were great times in my life that provided me with many happy memories. Naturally, I want my family to experience what I did, so I do my best at re-creating it here on O‘ahu. I am actively taking the initiative to create new traditions with my ‘ohana and ensuring they happen.
Hawaiian Financial Federal
Credit Union wants you to live your best life by being well, being safe and always being prepared. That’s why Hawaiian Financial Federal Credit Union created the “Get Your House In Order” initiative. It’s a way of life and gives you peace of mind knowing you are prepared for the three or four steps ahead of where you want to go.
The new “Get Your House In Order” Ho‘okele personal planning booklet 1.2 is now available as a complement to Ho‘okele 1.1. Remember, the Ho‘okele guidebooks are designed to be completed in any order and can be started in any
section. We will release a new Ho‘okele guidebook section every quarter. Each guidebook is available for download from the Hawaiian Financial Federal Credit Union website at HIFICU. com/GYHO.
For more information about the “Get Your House in Order” campaign, email GYHO@ hificu.com and watch a new episode of Get Your House In Order at 4 p.m. every Saturday on KITV4.
Do you have a “Get Your House in Order” experience that could help others? Share your story at hificu.com/gyho
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