Laugh 'Til We Cry: How Family Stories Echo Through Generations
Have you ever wondered if your sense of humor, your storytelling style, or even the way you laugh might be inherited? What if those moments when you have to leave the game table because you're laughing so hard aren't just about the present moment, but echo a legacy of joy passed down through generations?
"Your sense of humor, that sense of timing, that sense of compassion, the sense of empathy, the sense of loyalty, the sense of honor was handed down..."
When I sat down with Scott Seiffert, Vice President of Animation at DreamWorks, and his wife Lisa Dyson, a middle school librarian and actress, I discovered a family whose story perfectly illustrates how laughter, games, and storytelling create bonds that span generations. Their journey from Montana bars to modern dinner tables, from Edgar Allan Poe readings to fierce gin rummy competitions, reveals something profound about how family stories live in us.
The Power of a Good Story
"I come from a long line of people who drank at bars and told stories," Scott shared with a laugh that seemed to confirm his heritage. Growing up in Montana, his childhood was filled with storytelling sessions at the family cabin, where with no TV or radio to distract them, multiple generations would gather around the piano to share tales of the Wild West and their family's adventures.
Meanwhile, Lisa created her own storytelling traditions, reading to their daughter at breakfast every morning and watching as Scott balanced those sweet children's books with dramatic readings of Edgar Allan Poe. Together, they've crafted a home where phones are banned from the dinner table, where game nights end in fits of laughter, and where family stories flow as naturally as conversation.
"We actually do sit around the table literally like you should do, and no phones are going. It's sit around and talk and chat and tell stories and laugh. It's part of our family, it's part of who we are."
The Whole Story
Haven’t laughed along with Scott, Lisa, and I yet? Take a listen.
Prefer audio only? Click here to listen on your favorite podcast app.
🎧 Listen to the full episode to discover:
- Scott's revelation about his family's storytelling heritage in Montana bars
- Lisa's discovery of her grandfather's heroic WWI service and POW experience
- The unexpected DNA results that led to Finnish fish and Albanian poppies on their ceiling beams
- The moment Scott's grandfather surprised everyone by "cutting a rug" at the cabin
- How their daughter continues their gaming tradition with her own friends
- The discovery of a treasure trove of 19th-century family letters
The Power of One Story
What struck me most about Scott and Lisa's story was how naturally they've woven together different family traditions to create something uniquely their own. Their experience shows us that family culture isn't just inherited – it's actively shaped by each generation's conscious choices about what to preserve and what to create anew.
Your Story
Think about the traditions in your own family. Some may have been passed down through generations, while others might be new creations. What matters isn't their origin, but how they bring your family together and create opportunities for connection and storytelling.
Story Seeds 🌱
Plant these conversation starters and watch your family stories grow.
- What games did your parents or grandparents play with their families? Are any of those games still played in your family today?
- Can you remember a time when laughter brought your family closer together? What sparked that moment?
- What stories do you remember being told as a child? Who told them, and how did they tell them?
- What new traditions have you created with your own family, and what inspired them?
Story Sparks 🔑
Unlock your family's hidden stories with these research techniques.
- Search Newspapers.com for articles about your ancestors' social activities, club memberships, or community involvement. These often reveal personality traits and interests that might have been passed down.
- Look for clues about family traditions in old letters and postcards. Pay attention to mentions of gatherings, games, or special occasions.
- Create a custom MyTreeTag in your Ancestry tree for "Family Traditions." Then, on the profile pages of those people in your family tree, document any stories you find about how your ancestors spent their leisure time.
Scott and Lisa's story reminds us that family history isn't just about names and dates – it's about the laughter, the stories, the traditions, and even the competitive card games that echo through generations. As Scott beautifully put it, "Who you are is an echo of how you grew up, where you grew up... your sense of humor, that sense of timing, that sense of compassion... was handed down."
Ready to discover more stories of family connection? Subscribe to Stories That Live In Us wherever you get your podcasts. And if this episode made you laugh (or cry), please leave us a rating and review – it helps other family story seekers find us.
© 2024 Crista Cowan. All rights reserved.
