Once Upon a Time

Perhaps you recall, as I do, being small, sitting in a semi-circle with other children, legs crossed, heads back, looking up to a teacher perched on a low stool. She would read and show pictures, as our small eyes and minds strained to understand. We listen best when stories are told. We are best heard when we tell them.

Throughout history, the most important and lasting messages have come to us as parables and stories. Stories are memorable. They flow from beginning to end. They are easily recalled, retold and remembered. They pass from generation to generation forming the oral tradition that keeps families, cultures and nations conscious of their roots and connections.

A well told story can be more powerful than a direct statement. Listeners, interpret, gather, and identify with the story making it their own. Sometimes, stories are interpreted differently by those who hear them. In many ways, this is the marvelous thing about story telling. Stories allow personal participation. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but a thousand well spoken words can unleash our imaginations and transport us anywhere we wish to go. Telling stories is a natural need and an ancient art. We relate our day’s events in stories. We come to know one and other by telling the stories we have gathered along the way. It is magic.

Today, when you have a message to share, tell a story. We will all gather in a circle, cross our

legs, look up, and listen

.