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Today's
quotation:
For
many years now I have listened to the stories of people
with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses as their
counselor. From them I have learned how to enjoy the
minute particulars of life once again, the grace of a hot
cup of coffee, the presence of a friend, the blessing of
having a new cake of soap or an hour without pain.
Such humble experience is the stuff that many of the very
best stories are made of. If we think we have no
stories it is because we have not paid enough attention to
our lives. Most of us live lives that are far richer
and more meaningful than we appreciate.
Rachel
Naomi Remen
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Today's
Meditation:
The
second important element of this passage is the focus on
stories and the number of stories that we all have in our
lives. I personally have a hard time thinking of
actual stories that come from my experience. If I'm
in a group of people and we're sharing funny or
interesting stories, I always come up blank, even though I
know that a lot of interesting things have happened to me
and I've met many fascinating people. I've gone to
many interesting places and I've had experiences that have
been completely unique. The
stories of my experiences don't come easily to me,
though. In fact, my memory seems to shut down on its
own once I try to start to remember things.
But
that doesn't mean that I don't have the stories.
Sometimes I used to feel a bit down, as if my life weren't
as exciting or as interesting or as full as the lives of
others. I've since found, though, that that's
completely untrue--it's my memory that doesn't work as
well as some other people's, not a lack of life
experiences, that keeps me from sharing stories with
others. I have just as many, if not more,
fascinating stories to tell. I just can't access
them as quickly or as easily as many other people can.
Partly,
I think, Rachel's right--I haven't paid enough attention
to my life as I've grown. I haven't seen the
changes, the experiences, the ups and downs as clearly as
I could have. That's due mostly to the fact that I
so often was focused on what I didn't have that I lost
sight of the things that I did have. I've changed
that tendency, but it's still something that affects me
because of the opportunities that I lost in my past--not
noticing the fascinating stories as they've unwound, not
noticing the incredible people that were a part of my
life, and about whom now I could tell many, many wonderful
stories if I had only been paying attention.
What's
happening to you today that could be tomorrow's
story? What could you share with others tomorrow
that will lighten their hearts or help them to see life's
circumstances in different ways? These stories are
your gift, and gifts are always brighter when we share
them. . . .
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| Questions to
consider:
Does our culture value story-telling? How does
"society's" view of story-telling affect our own
ability to tell stories?
If your memory is like mine and doesn't access stories
easily, how might you compensate?
Can you think of one story that you might tell others
from your yesterday or the day before?
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| For further
thought:
Margaret
Wheatley states, “We do not fear the people whose
stories we know.” Let us begin to help people
understand each other and improve our communities by
sharing our stories with each other. When I think of
all the people who have inspired me to be a better person,
they did it by sharing a story with me. My family
and friends have inspired me by sharing their hopes and
dreams, despair and triumph. Students have inspired
me with their joy and eagerness to learn. I could go on
with the inspiration I have found from others. . . .
Sharing a part of your life may seem scary but think of
those you might inspire. What if those that inspired
you had never shared? Let’s do this
together. Let’s work to bring the community
together by sharing stories of our human spirit in pursuit
of happiness. . . . We must share our stories of what it
means to be parents, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers,
sons, daughters, aunts, uncles, friends, neighbors, and
coworkers. We all have the power to change the
world. I hope you will take a few minutes to do that
– change the world with your story.
Heath
Harding
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