Our Own Stories

It has been a weekend of stories told for me.  A friend came over on Friday evening, and answering a question asked by one of our girls, she told us all the story of her life.  We all sat for at least an hour, entranced by the fullness of life with her unique joys and struggles and fascinating adventures of life.  Yesterday our youngest four girls went to an Adoption Education Seminar where they had been invited to tell people considering adoption about their unique stories.  Some of the girls have done this before, but this time they all wanted a part in sharing their parts of their special life stories.  I am always sensitive to whether the children want to be a part of such a gathering.  Sometimes they do choose not to come and other times to come just to listen.  Yesterday I was impressed at how empowering the ability to communicate their own stories was for them.  I was also struck afresh at how interesting and significant is each life and each special story.  Somehow all the challenges and struggles that I have as a parent melted away for that special time as we together joined in the listening and perspectives of my four young women.  We all have an important and signficant part to play in the whole human story.  No matter how small and insignificant we feel, our stories are full and rich and of infinite help in the telling to others.

Many years ago when I was a mountain guide in the wild coastal mountains here in British Columbia, each meal would be a special time for one of our number to tell their life story.  I am encouraged today to listen and facilitate the telling of our stories more often.  They can be told in many different ways with different emphases and ways of telling.  Our lives are full of the words of our own stories.  Our stories are fascinating works of art!  They are full of important wisdom for us to open and hold with joy and interest.  May we all more readily turn to one another to really hear and appreciate our unique and special life journeys.  No matter what our story holds, each one of us is infinitely important and special and vital to the larger whole of us human beings.  It is important to acknowledge in the telling how truly amazing is each of our own selves, reflected in our lives lived and hearts felt and shared.