Who doesn’t love a great story! Not the stories we read before bed or that we get from the library or these days on our kindles. It’s the stories we share with each other that connect us. Life is filled with so many beautiful, tiny moments that leave us wanting to share our stories both past and present, they are what we reach for and remember as we grow older, when we get together with old friends, at family gatherings or over a cup of coffee with a new friend. Stories are the link to understanding our family history and the link to building friendships that last a lifetime. The stories we tell are important and meaningful.
It’s not often my brother, sister and I are together for holidays so having my brother home for Easter reminded me of how much I love listening and telling stories from our childhood. We could go on for days about the intense games of Nerf basketball we would play in the hallway, the family trip to New Jersey when our suitcases flew off the top of the car and all our clothes scattered across the Jersey Turnpike because dad’s “magic knots” came undone–or according to him–it was the wind. The endless games of kickball we would play denting the side of my parents aluminum siding house, or the classic Rent Me story when my parents rented an old, chipped-up wooden fisherman’s boat and we found ourselves stuck in the middle of the ocean dodging enormous waves from the passing ferry boats, seriously not even knowing how to steer the boat. With each new story, we would bust out in crying laughter just thinking about all these good times. When we get together and reminisce, we laugh so hard we snort and can’t catch our breath. It’s pure joy. It’s our shared experience together.
Stories are real. The emotions you feel when you hear and remember a great story are real. The joy you feel when you laugh so hard it hurts. The connections you feel as you play off each other remembering a different part to that particular experience. Even an old photograph can spark a memory that leads to a great story. Tell your story, write it down, share it, and let it be heard. Stories bond us and the best stories will leave you breathless and your jaw aching!
I love this image of my family that was taken a few years ago at the place we vacationed growing up. We went back to celebrate my mom’s birthday and can guarantee there was a story being told as Justin snapped this shot.
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