People come to StoryCorps for a variety of reasons, but over the years, we’ve learned that one of the most common is sitting down to record an interview that honors a loved one.

On this Father’s Day episode of the podcast, we’re bringing you stories of people honoring and celebrating their dads.

We start things off with one dad’s creative approach to parenting. Bernie Feldstein sat down for StoryCorps with his children, Vickie and Michael, to talk about a unique family tradition that kept his kids honest—at least for one day out of the year.

Our next story comes from Southern California—that’s where George Caywood and his wife raised their four daughters.

At StoryCorps, George sat down with his eldest daughter, Gina, to talk about the joyful and sometimes challenging journey of being a father.

Wil Smith also knows the joys and challenges of fatherhood. In 1996, at 27-years-old, Wil enrolled as a Freshman at Bowdoin College. There, not only was Wil the oldest member of his class, but he was also raising the youngest—his infant daughter, Olivia.

Next, a story about triplets, Leo, Nick, and Steven Cantos, who have been blind since birth. Growing up, their mother had a hard time taking care of them. But when they were 10 years old, a lawyer named Ollie Cantos, who is also blind, learned about their situation and wanted to help. The four of them sat down for StoryCorps to talk about what happened next.

Our final story comes from Albert and Aidan Sykes. They first came to StoryCorps in 2015, and even though Aidan was only nine years old at the time, he had some important questions for his dad. Now a teenager, Aidan came back to StoryCorps with his father, five years later, to continue their conversation.

Top photo: Olivia and Wil Smith at their StoryCorps interview in Sheffield, Massachusetts. Photo by Jud Esty-Kendall for StoryCorps. 
Second Photo: From left to right, the Feldstein family in 1983; Michael, Bernie, Barbara and Vickie in Newton, Massachusetts. Courtesy of the Feldstein family.
Third Photo: Wil (class of 2000 at Bowdin college) and Olivia Smith on graduation day. Photo courtesy of the Smith family.
Fourth Photo: Gina and George Caywood at their StoryCorps interview in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Piya Kochar for StoryCorps.
Fifth Photo: Ollie Cantos with Leo, Nick, and Steven Cantos at their StoryCorps interview in Arlington, Virginia. Photo by Daniel Sitts for StoryCorps.
Bottom photo: Albert and Aidan Sykes in Jackson, Mississippi, 2020. Photo courtesy of Albert Sykes.

Released on June 16, 2020.