The Unopened Story

Life dictates that we all have one. Whether you believe it, think it’s worthwhile, or like it, we all have one to tell. From the time we arrive on this earth until we leave, we accumulate people, events, places, and memories, all intricately woven to craft our story.

Some folks have extravagant stories, like Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, Ella Fitzgerald, the famed singer, or Mother Theresa—she needs no tagline. We may believe our stories aren’t significant since we don’t fall into the extravagant category. But just because our stories don’t include a moon, a song, or a Nobel Peace Prize doesn’t mean we each don’t have a story to tell.

Dear reader, you have a story. And you are the only one who can share it. No one can do it for you. You own it. You tell it. Now, you may think, I don’t have anything to say. My life is pretty ordinary and mundane and contains nothing anyone is interested in. I beg to differ.

We walk through this life with a story slowly assembled like a 10,000-piece Lego set. It can take decades to build. But, if you are lucky enough to live past memory-recalling days, you have a story. And if you wait too long, your memory may betray you.

You’ve had stories told to you when you were little, perhaps about your first step or word. Maybe you have distinct memories about the first time you rode a bike or climbed a tree. I’m sure you have some stories from your awkward, misfit self during your tween and teen years. Some of those you’d rather forget. Have you ever taken a trip somewhere? Chances are you have a story. Do you have an unforgettable memory with a friend or loved one that you still laugh about today? What did it feel like? Sound like or look like?

Sometimes, we need to pause and shake those stories out of our memory banks; they are there, often buried under years of life, work, commitments, responsibilities, and complications. Our stories matter; our lives can only become stories if we share them.

I often say that what I most remember about someone, an experience, a trip, or a conference, is always the story. Whether we listen to or tell, stories teach, change, and impact in a way that imparts something special. 

Without stories, we lose our connection with one another. Stories help us find where our lives intersect, where we have shared experiences, the good and the heartbreaking; stories create empathy and teach us to be there for one another. They bind our hearts together, reminding us that we aren’t alone.

Your story is essential. Clear the cobwebs, remember, capture, and write them down. Share it with a loved one, a friend, or a child. A story comes to life when we share it, and it ceases to teach, change, and impact when we don’t. It’s like an unopened book. You’ll never know a story’s impact if you don’t crack the book’s binding and start it. Imagine if Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the Gospel writers, hadn’t written the story.

Every story, no matter how small, can heal and transform. Buy the journal, start writing, draft the poem, craft the song, and paint the picture. Whatever you do, don’t wait for the extravagant story. Start now.

P.S. There are countless websites with journal prompts. Here is one.