Granny told stories all the time—stories about her
childhood, stories about being a young wife and mom, stories about her and her
friends, and even stories her parents told her. We all loved Granny’s stories.
We never got tired of hearing them. If you were to ask my kids, they would tell
you what their favorite story is, and then they would start telling it—just
like Granny did.
Our family’s fondness for storytelling doesn’t seem to be
going away any time soon, either. One of Mack and Macy’s favorite ways to pass
the time in the car or as we wind down for the evening is to listen to me tell
stories about the things their dad and aunts did growing up. Stories about
pets, life on the farm, school…you name it— they want to hear about it.
“That’s nice,” you say. “Great story,” you say (no pun
intended). “But what’s the point?”
I’m glad you asked, and I am equally happy to tell you.
The point is that by telling stories you are providing your
children, grandchildren, and even your great-grandchildren with an oral history
of who their people were. You are giving them a piece of the past to weave into
their present and their future.
So now here’s what I want you to do. I want you to set aside
some time to gather the generations of your family together and have a good
old-fashioned story-telling session. Pass on the memories that make your family
your family. But then you need to be ready, because it won’t be long before you
hear, “Tell me about the time that….”
Love,
Momma D
Copyright 2017 Darla Noble. No part of this can be used or copied without permission from the author.
