February 7, 2021: Storytellers
“Life is like a book. There are good chapters, and there are bad chapters. But when you get to a bad chapter, you don’t stop reading the book! If you do…then you never get to find out what happens next!”
― Brian Falkner
This week, I received a phone call from a woman I had been best friends with as a child. From kindergarten through 7th grade we had been inseparable. Those were the days, when busy parents sent their kids outdoors to play and tv watching was a treat, not a full time occupation. As a result, we spent a great deal of time inventing activities we could do outdoors. Both of us were eldest daughters, and took great delight in being the bossy, creative directors of plays designed from the stories we wrote, with our younger siblings as the actors.
Her family was Jewish and we were Methodists. In and out of each other’s houses, we learned about the similarities and differences in the holiday traditions our families celebrated. We shared dreams, joys, and sorrows. Make-believe was a mantra for us. Arguments were few and far between and quickly resolved. We were “besties”.
But life brings changes and as the years passed, we grew in different directions, developing new interests and forming friendships in other social circles. I literally had not seen or talked with her since my family moved from New Jersey to Maine my senior year of high school
“Life is like a book that never ends. Chapters close, but not the book itself.”
Marianne Williamson
Along with the reminiscing, we shared snapshots and a synopsis of our lives through the decades that have passed. Although they were only snippets of our life stories, the foundation of friendship we had built was strong and the conversation flowed easily. The conversation brought back to life our shared connections of history. Our joint memories recreated events I had packed away in the archives of my mind. I was ultimately delighted to “reread” this chapter of my life.
Now considering retirement, she’s exploring different avenues in this next chapter of her life and was curious how I had found my own direction after leaving teaching. We talked for an hour and a half, and plan on reconnecting again soon. It was a gift of time, sharing stories to bridge our past connections to the present.
There was never yet an uninteresting life. Such a thing is an impossibility. Inside of the dullest exterior there is a drama, a comedy, and a tragedy.
Mark Twain
The analogy of our lives as having different chapters resonated long after the call ended. Like any well written book, our lives have all the elements of a good story. Through the different chapters, there are defined elements: characters we encounter, places where we live , visit and work, and problems to face and eventually resolve. Our life stories can include different genres such as adventure, humor, romance, mystery, inspiration and drama. How these chapters evolve and unfold creates our own personal book of life. Some chapters we are delighted and relieved to finish, while others end with bittersweet feelings such as when our youngest child left for college. But each day we live, we have a brand new page upon which we can write the story we want to read.
Thank you for taking time to read our blog. We welcome your thoughts and any quotes that inspire you. Please feel free to share it with someone who might find it meaningful.
Quotes as seeds for thought:
“Once you start recognizing the truth of your story, finish the story. It happened but you’re still here, you’re still capable, powerful, you’re not your circumstance. It happened and you made it through. You’re still fully equipped with every single tool you need to fulfill your purpose.”
― Steve Maraboli
There are those who say that life is like a book, with chapters for each event in your life and a limited number of pages on which you can spend your time. But I prefer to think that a book is like a life, particularly a good one, which is well to worth staying up all night to finish.
Daniel Handler
“Life is a book and you are its author. You determine its plot and pace and you–only you–turn its pages.”
― Beth Mende Conny
“Do you wait for things to happen, or do you make them happen yourself? I believe in writing your own story.”
― Charlotte Eriksson
“Dare to write your life story in such a way that, if perchance, someone happens to read even a single sentence of it they will be compelled to take far greater care in the writing of their own sentences.”
― Craig D. Lounsbrough
“We just need to believe in the story of our life!”
― Avijeet Das
“We have more control than most of us realize. Each day is filled with thousands of opportunities to change the story of our lives.”
― Michael Hyatt