Q&A with dads

Father’s Day is almost here, and it’s the perfect time to celebrate the amazing dads in our lives. These dads are our everyday heroes, always there to support, guide, protect, and inspire us.

This year, Saipan Tribune decided to shine a spotlight on some of the wonderful fathers in our island community and invited them to participate in a special Q&A session where they could share their experiences, wisdom, and the unique joys and challenges of fatherhood.

By highlighting their stories, we hope to celebrate not only their contributions to their children and families but also to our community as a whole, showcasing the great influence they have on those around them.

LT. GOV. DAVID M. APATANG

Apatang is the 13th lieutenant governor of the CNMI.

What is your most cherished memory with your children and why does it hold a special place in your heart?

Every day and everything are my most cherished moments with my children. From the moment they were born to the present time, every moment is special in my life. They share their understanding of their surroundings with me in each of their own unique ways. I am very grateful to God for giving me wonderful children.

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned from being a father and how has it influenced your approach to parenting?

Being present for them all the time and loving them no matter how tough life sometimes gets. Parenting requires balancing of many things in life and I learned to make adjustments every day as the relationship between parents and children requires it.

How do you prioritize quality time with your children amidst the demands of work and daily life and what activities do you enjoy doing together?

My time with my children is never prioritized because my children come first. Everything else after my children could be prioritized, even my work. Time after school and an eight-hour day at work were quality time with my children. Dinner time and weekends were reserved for my children. Now my children are adults and have their own family, but we still make time to get together on special occasions and holidays.

What values do you strive to instill in your children and how do you model these values in your everyday interactions with them?

Respect others and honor our elders. My upbringing in a traditional Chamorro home with loving parents taught me to be humble, respectful, honest, and accepting of others. As my children got older and more mature, I reminded them of these important teachings and to follow them to the best they could.

What does being a dad mean to you and what legacy do you hope to leave for your children as they grow older?

Being a father is a responsibility that does not have a time off, a vacation from the children, and an end at any time before death. I only want to leave the most realistic guidance for my children that they, too, will carry on, and that is, to be honest, respectful, caring for others, and to work to survive on their own and help others within their power.

JESSE PALACIOS

Palacios is the corporate director of the Northern Marianas Housing Corp.

What is your most cherished memory with your children and why does it hold a special place in your heart?

My most cherished memories with my children are the moments I witnessed their births, each one a miraculous and unique experience. Being the first, along with my wife, to welcome them into this world is just indescribable. These memories hold a special place in my heart because God has blessed us with three wonderful children to raise, to watch them grow and for them to have families of their own.

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned from being a father and how has it influenced your approach to parenting?

The most important lesson I’ve learned from being a father is the profound sense of responsibility it entails. As the head of the household, my family depends on me for their physical and emotional well-being. This responsibility shapes my approach to parenting by emphasizing the importance of nurturing my children to be loving, respectful and responsible individuals. Knowing they look up to me, I strive to be a good role model for them by practicing what you preach.

How do you prioritize quality time with your children amidst the demands of work and daily life and what activities do you enjoy doing together?

Despite the demands of work, and at times I still do work at home, I make a conscious effort to set aside my tasks to spend quality time with our children. We talk about school, what they are up to, what they need and so forth. I help them with their school assignments and attend their activities, showing my support and interest in their passions. We cherish our outdoor adventures, whether hiking through nature or enjoying the beach, and going on family trips, creating lasting memories and strengthening our bond.

What values do you strive to instill in your children and how do you model these values in your everyday interactions with them?

I strive to instill values of respect, compassion, and integrity in my children. I teach them to respect the elderly, the environment, and our community. By demonstrating compassion and helping others in need, I show them the importance of empathy. I encourage them to do what is right and provide assistance without expecting anything in return, modeling these values through my actions and daily interactions with them.

What does being a dad mean to you and what legacy do you hope to leave for your children as they grow older?

Being a dad means putting my family first and serving as a constant source of love, support, and guidance. It involves making sacrifices to ensure our children have the best opportunities and grow into responsible, kind-hearted individuals. I hope to leave a legacy of familial support, integrity, and love, so that our children will always know they have someone to lean on, someone to count on and someone who has established a strong foundation to build their lives upon.

BRAD RUSZALA

Ruszala is a communications consultant with Commonwealth Communications

What is your most cherished memory with your children and why does it hold a special place in your heart?

Some of the best moments with my children are when we get into a conversation with a seemingly endless circle of jokes that spirals into us laughing about the most ridiculous things, complete with callbacks to other silly conversations with equally ridiculous things that inspire deeper laughter.

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned from being a fathe, and how has it influenced your approach to parenting?

I used to think I needed to be perfect in every aspect of parenting in order to be a successful dad, but I’ve learned that sometimes the most important thing is just to be present.

How do you prioritize quality time with your children amidst the demands of work and daily life, and what activities do you enjoy doing together?

Earlier this year, I realized that I’ll only have a few years left with our children before they go off to college and that I need to make the most of that time because I’ll never have the opportunity to spend this much time with them again. I left a great job with a great company and launched a company of my own in order to prioritize my time around them. Now I can spend time with them as their dad, as their coach, and as someone who can just be with them when it matters most.

What values do you strive to instill in your children and how do you model these values in your everyday interactions with them?

If we’re successful, our children will grow up to have a healthy sense of humor, they’ll view the world through relatively sane and normal eyes, they’ll be accepting of others with different lifestyles and points of view, and they’ll know the difference between what is proper and what is not.

What does being a dad mean to you and what legacy do you hope to leave for your children as they grow older?

I’m not completely sure what being a dad means to me, but my understanding of what I’m supposed to be for my children has changed since I was a kid. I’m tough when I think the situation calls for it, and I struggle to be patient when my veneer wears thin. I’m their team coach when other parents aren’t able to step up, and I’m there to supplement what others have taught. At the best of times, I’m their laughing buddy, and I hope they feel safe to come to me at their worst. I hope they will be strong in character, steadfast in their commitments, and brave when others wilt. More than anything, I hope that when they think of me as their father, they feel loved by someone who would do anything for them.

MARVIN BUSTON

Buston is an accountant with HBR International Inc.

What is your most cherished memory with your children and why does it hold a special place in your heart?

Holding my children in my arms while they were days old is still my most cherished memory. The feeling of extraordinary joy that first time I carried my children close to my heart

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned from being a father, and how has it influenced your approach to parenting?

Being a father you will do everything to support, protect, and love your family. I also learned that being a father gives you the responsibility for your children’s future. These enable me to wake up each day and continue working hard for my family with so much inspiration, joy in my heart, and an outpouring of love for my children which I try to show them every day.

How do you prioritize quality time with your children amidst the demands of work and daily life and what activities do you enjoy doing together?

Working long hours Monday until Saturday is challenging, however realizing the importance of constant connection with my children I see to it that we have bonding time before going to bed. We find some time playing with each other, working on some school items, and even cracking jokes together. Every time I pick up my kids from school I make sure to ask them “How’s your school day?”

What values do you strive to instill in your children and how do you model these values in your everyday interactions with them?

I make sure that my kids are grateful and are God-fearing. At their young ages, me and my wife teach them that everything is a blessing from God. Hence every meal that we eat and every blessing that we receive, we teach our kids to say thank you, Lord. Also, we teach them to be grateful to the people around us. I also keep on teaching them the love of education. Me and my wife are constantly involved in our kid’s school matters. I am very fortunate to have a loving wife who is really very detailed and dedicated to making sure that our kids are always on track when it comes to school.

What does being a dad mean to you and what legacy do you hope to leave for your children as they grow older?

Being a dad can be described in one word, it’s commitment. Children are blessings from God. Being a daddy is the commitment that I will take care of these blessings. Being a Dad I have the absolute commitment to providing for my kids, in loving my kids, protecting them, and also leading them to the right path. I would like my kids to see that I am committed, in the same way, I would like to see them committed in the future in whatever purpose they want to have as adults. While doing all these, I would like them to feel how much I love them and how much my kids occupy the space in my heart. Now more than ever I understand the love and support that my father has given me. Growing up we lacked financially but never did we lack love and care from my father. He wasn’t a perfect person, but his love for me and my siblings is selfless. Now that my father is gone, it is my bow to honor him by being the best Dad I could be.

SPENCER FLOYD

Floyd is flight controller with Midwest ATC.

What does being a father mean to you?

Being a father is taking on a multifaceted role that has you being a guardian, custodian, provider, and teacher. Instilling values providing guidance for my child to become a good citizen in today’s world is essential.

Being a father is my most challenging and rewarding experience.

What is your most cherished memory with your children and why does it hold a special place in your heart?

My most cherished memory with my child is seeing him walk for the first time. That memory holds a special place for me because my child is a natural explorer, always taking every opportunity to explore wherever his curiosity takes him.

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned from being a fathe, and how has it influenced your approach to parenting?

The most important lesson I’ve learned from being a father is the importance of time. It’s easy to say next time or later, I make sure to prioritize his needs whether it’s playtime or just having a conversation with him.

How do you prioritize quality time with your children amidst the demands of work and daily life and what activities do you enjoy doing together?

I’m fortunate that I have a rotating schedule so I’m able plan activities such as going to the beach or park. Our favorites activity is playing at the water park in Saipan World Resort.

TAI DORAM

Doram is the Learning and Behavior Specialist with the Public School System

What is your most cherished memory with your children, and why does it hold a special place in your heart?

My greatest achievements in life have not been degrees, places visited, money, wealth, homes, or property. No, my greatest achievement has been being a father!

There is no greater joy than seeing the birth of your child and holding that little person in your arms. All that I do in life is hopefully to help make the world a better place for all, but especially for my family.

Each day I look upon them and smile. The reality of science, religion, and creation all join together when this little being first appears to the world.

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned from being a father and how has it influenced your approach to parenting?

As an educator, I feel like all students are my children. Daily I strive to make a difference in the lives of those I touch. Education keeps you honest and humble. Being a parent keeps me young and dynamic! The world is forever changing, through my children I have been able to grow and develop a better understanding of those around me. So, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, and humanity/humility have been lessons learned.

How do you prioritize quality time with your children amidst the demands of work and daily life and what activities do you enjoy doing together?

I believe in this rushed world we live in we must learn to “buy time” for those around us that we love. So, each day, there are times that are devoted to family and family only. It may seem strange, but we budget every day. Why not make sure that the time is with family even if it is at the TV, painting, building, gym, ocean, or park, they are included or I am included since it is their favorite place.

What values do you strive to instill in your children and how do you model these values in your everyday interactions with them?

Integrity, trust, tolerance, patience, empowerment, peace/self-worth, and empathy are values I hope I model can strive to instill in my children. I am a firm believer that I am a facilitator of empowerment for others, it is a gift from Heaven I firmly believe. Each and every day I want to be a better person and strive to walk my talk. From that, I pray they follow. If so, then happiness in life will be theirs.

What does being a dad mean to you and what legacy do you hope to leave for your children as they grow older?

Each and every day I praise God for giving me this opportunity to serve others and most importantly to be a father. God, in turn, has blessed me with wonderful people throughout my life that has inspired, pushed, and pulled me to be the person I am today, a father!