Thomas King says “the truth about stories is that’s all we are.” He tells a number of different kinds of stories and explores ways that they shape identity and the way we see the world.
This resonates strongly with me. Stories are so valuable, because they reflect the essence of who we are. Even if the story is not directly about a person, the person still chose to tell that story in that specific way and it tells something about who they are. It can say something of their humor, life views, how they view others, where they come from, and many, many other things. Thomas King’s story reflects how he values and longs for harmony, peace, and cooperation instead of competition, comparing, and one vs. another. He is able to do this so much stronger by using a story of creation that he had heard. When we hear a story instead of an argument it leads us to think about the story and what it means instead of how to refute the argument. One of my favorite stories is from a friend. He came to me beaming with joy! He was so excited he was vibrating.
“Jen,” he said.
“He made it!”
“It all worked! I wish I could have seen their faces when they met their son at the airport!”
“I wish I could have been a fly on the wall when they saw the presents under the tree!”
“I was speaking to a mother the other day. She was so sad because her family was going to be separate for Christmas. One child was living in a city across the country from his family this year in foster care and the mother was distraught because she could not see him for Christmas this year. They had no money for presents or plane fares and she had lost hope that they could somehow make it work. So I talked to some people and we were able to get enough money together to fly her son out and fill under their tree with presents! She called me today. She was crying again, but this time with joy.”
“He made it!”
You see, the story is valuable to me because it shows beauty in selflessness, generosity, and compassion for people he didn’t even know. But what is even more beautiful about that story is the one that precedes it. My friend grew up very poor, and in foster care. He was an orphan and had many Christmas’s without people who loved him or presents under the tree. He could have chosen to let that harden him, and make him bitter or angry. He could argue that life is hard and they should get used to it. He could get angry at a system that is broken and unfair. Instead he let his story soften him to others stories. He also added to their story, making an amazing chapter that would not have been there without a man like him. My friend could have chosen to just tell me to be kind and push through hard things because he did. He could have told me that being selfish is bad and being generous is good. However, his stories spoke much stronger than any argument that I could have heard and will stay in my heart and mind for a long time. I want to have an influence on the stories in my life by choosing how I react to the things in life that I have no control of. I want to listen to others stories and be a chapter that adds beauty to their stories as well.
Stories are treasure that can grow and grow far larger than the original gift.