“My dad traveled a lot when I was a little girl; he was an insurance agent for Employers Mutual of Wausau (Wisconsin). He missed several birthdays, school programs, etc. – but never ever ever felt like an ‘absent father.’ When he was home there was full presence and love and laughter and good conversation and family activities and debates (I was the youngest of 4 and most often a fascinated observer to these…!).
“When he would tuck me into bed, I would often ask for a story. He would say, ‘Do you want a story about a little girl?…or about a little boy?…or about a little girl and a little boy?…or about me when I was a little boy?’
“Can you guess which one I usually asked for?! 🙂
“I don’t remember much in the way of details, but I remember fully the fun and love and closeness of hearing Daddy tell me stories of when he was a little boy.
“As a professional teller these many years, and my Dad gone many more, I love holding that storytelling lineage in my heart! [Gratitude Day 226]”
– This was a Facebook posting of mine from last year’s Father’s Day, Sunday, June 16, 2013
For a solid year from November 1, 2012 through October 31, 2013, I made the commitment to make daily, public “gratitude posts” on Facebook.
It was a profound experience in many ways, ways which I’d sooner or later like to tease out and explore in some depth – and perhaps in a publishable/sharable format, whether book or blog, I don’t know. (I received a vast amount of positive feedback from people who appreciated the public sharing, which has prompted me to seriously consider further public musings on gratitude/gratefulness in some manner, in some media…)
What does a “gratitude practice” have to do with storytelling?
This is, of course, one of the strong and vibrant threads I’d like to examine, unravel, and spin out in further reflection on it all.
I can say this: Turning daily attention to mindfully name something I am grateful for, contributes greatly and deeply to living fully and with heart – and, somehow, THIS has everything to do with storytelling! I am eager to explore the iceberg that this is the very top-tip of!
- Do you have a daily/regular practice of some kind that you find beneficial?
- Is it about gratitude, or something else?
- What would it be like for you to consciously name something every day that you are grateful for?
- Do these questions bring to mind a story you know?
Thanks for reading – Pam
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