It probably seems cliche for a woman who founded a blog to say she finds her passion in reading and writing stories. Well, cliche or not, I have to admit that I’m truly passionate about both reading and writing stories. Sharing my own stories and embracing the stories of other women have become as necessary to my heartbeat as oxygen is to my breathing. This is a passion I found in my early 30’s shortly after becoming a mother. But to be fair, it is a passion that was found again—resurfaced from a beloved childhood hobby.
Some of my earliest memories are sharing stories with some of my childhood heroes ::
- The voice of my father dramatically playing each character in Goldilocks and the Three Bears or Little Red Riding Hood.
- The gruff voice of the narrator of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn on the audio cassette tape as we made cross-country road trips each summer.
- The memories of our shared alma mater that my grandfather would write to me in letters sent via snail mail during my college years.
As a young student, I immediately gravitated to language arts and literature.
There was no book I wasn’t willing to read, and I actually enjoyed writing the book reports my friends dreaded. Something about seeing the world through the eyes of someone else was fascinating to me.
As I grew older, I explored theater. I learned that some of my most beloved stories were even more compelling when acted out on a live stage in full costume. To me, this was like watching the characters on the pages literally come to life!
So yes, it’s true that reading, writing, and hearing stories have always been something I’m passionate about.
This year, though, I realized that my passion goes a little deeper than that. I found that what really makes my heart sing are the words themselves and the invitation they offer each of us. Words matter. The gift of sharing stories is the connection they offer. When you tell your story, you silently offer me the opportunity to do the same. The listening and the wondering; the exploring, understanding, and compassion that blossoms in our own hearts are what we stand to gain when we truly hear each other.
I have found my passion there :: in the still, quiet place of truly hearing your story and your truth.
I have found that talking to my children about the stories that they are writing with their young lives is an amazing opportunity to practice this giving and receiving of being heard and compassion building. Realizing that the words we write, read, and speak comprise the heart of what our life story will be is a powerful thing.
