Reconnecting with cousins not seen since the last family gathering or meeting some relatives for the first time, I became aware of stories that I had not heard before… or... had forgotten! There were moments when memories came flooding back. There were other moments when I listened to unknown facets of my 97-year old uncle’s amazing life. Smiles, laughter, tears… rising from a wellspring of a life well-lived.
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| Stories Overshadowed: Hope Returning |
As I was listening to these Stories Revealed, I recalled January’s “Super Blue Blood Moon" -- the full lunar eclipse which occurred shortly after Uncle Don’s death. The brilliance of the full moon was slowly overshadowed by a larger planetary body, Earth. As time progressed, the reflected light of the Sun returned to enlighten the darkness.
We are sometimes overshadowed by Stories Imagined or Stories Untrue. Eventually, though, it seems that the true essence of who we are is revealed, recognized, and shared.
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| Stories Colliding: Does it Have to be One or the Other? (Photo credit: Bubble Football, Daily News) |
Listening to stories of my uncle and his family -- Stories Unheard -- and sharing my recollections, I experienced one of those Rubber Band Moments -- times when there is an expansion and a contraction pulling on mind and heart. Stories Shared were both individual and collective memories, moments when individual bubbles touched other individual bubbles. Rather than colliding, these stories gently merged into a collective remembrance of a Loved One. The Rubber Band Moment? When energy is created as new information is received and stretches us beyond the familiar.
Slowly, I am learning that there is a much larger world out there! Realizing that individual stories are just fragments of an Overall Story of life, love, separation, and connection is why dialogue is so important. The ability to define and understand our individual stories -- on the best of days -- is an accomplishment. But realizing that there is a much larger perspective that encompasses our extended human family is the act of allowing individual stories to transform into Our Story.
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| Stories True: distinct and merging (Photo credit: Twitters racial and social divisions analysed, BBC Trending) |
As with my extended family and the stories we shared recently, just think of what this means when we encounter people throughout the day, people who bounce in and out of our lives. Imagine the stories unheard or not shared... but all are true and real!
As we continue to expand our mindset to include the Stories Beyond Ourselves, let us consider the following:
- What elements of My Story are important to me?
- How can I listen to the important elements of Your Story?
- Am I willing to accept that our unique stories are valid and integral to Our Story?
May we realize this week that we are all on the Front Line: We are One Family. May we understand that all stories are true, real and important. May we accept the responsibility not to overshadow the Other Story!
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| Larry Gardepie (click on link for website) |
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