“Those who tell the stories rule the world.”
― Hopi American Indian proverb
I am not Hopi American Indian, but my great- great- grandmother Leona Lightfoot was of the Powhatan tribe. Oral storytelling was one of the traditions that has, generations later, reappeared in my blood. It is our stories that connect us, that show our humanity, that give us hope and history.
And I’ve got stories to tell.
For the last four years, I’ve written a monthly article for Aspirations, a publication in the UK for parents of those on the autism spectrum. And I’ve been happy to share other stories about widowhood, quirky eye diseases, and faith in this blog. But there are so many other stories I want to tell!
I got my start as a storyteller when I was the Children’s Librarian at the Mary M. Campbell Public Library in Marcus Hook. I quickly learned the power of a good story.
Stories connect us. Stories entertain us. Stories show us the possibilities of worlds outside our own. And stories engender those wonderful endorphins that just make us feel, somehow, better about life. The stories I want to tell have not always been easy to live. My husband’s car accident and long illness, for example, were rough. Coping with a rare and sometimes debilitating eye disease is tough. And journeying with my father through his last days, as dementia erases much of his memories, is sad.
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
― Maya Angelou
Too long have I lived with stories that need to be told but have had no time to tell them. Even if my story can reach and encourage just one person, it is worth telling.
What are the stories that you would like to tell?