She said, “It’s all worth it. Somewhere, some woman is going through hell and you have a chance to help her get out of her situation with your story.”
In that moment, it clicked. Telling our stories is not self-indulgence or idle entertainment. It is a way to spread hope and bless others’ lives. It is a responsibility.
You may never publish a memoir for the public to see and there certainly are reasons to keep your life private, but withholding your wisdom from your loved ones is like watching them try to fish with a wooden bat. If only you took five minutes to explain that they need a fishing pole with the proper line and bait, well, then, they’d be much further ahead. Sure, they may figure this out on their own after lots of trial and error and study, but why not give them the ability to start at a much higher level and use their time more productively? Your stories are a resource for living and learning.
Even stories that have no apparent meaning to you can become a great source of comfort for others because they can extract their own meaning from them.
Frederick Buechner said, “My story is important not because it is mine, God knows, but because if I tell it anything like right, the chances are you will recognize that in many ways it is also yours.”
Below I’ve posted a video I love from StoryCorps. It is an interview with a man about an experience he had with his father when he was growing up. You can see from the video, a short, well-told experience can change the trajectory of one’s life forever.
To your legacy,
Laura A. Roser
CEO and Founder of Paragon Road
#1 Expert in Meaning Legacy Planning
