Tell your stories this Christmas & be blessed ...

Christmas Eve is upon us once again & it is always a time to think of those not with us, it is a time to tell their stories so those stories stay part of our immediate family.  Those we love live on while someone still tells their story. It is hard to pass your own story on to the next generation because sometimes it is complicated & because times have moved on & the things that troubled you will have no meaning for them; your dreams & angsts can seem trivial to others as your parents story was not understood by you until much later. Sometimes  the young just don’t attach importance to stories   ...

Sue Shellenbarger address this issue too in her contribution the-secret-benefits-of-retelling-family-stories

We al have this idealised version of family life; the one promoted by Instagram & Hollywood & it is far from reality.  Everyone’s family is different, everyone has the outspoken relative, the crazy uncle who is much derided, the one who drinks too much & the one who drinks too little; the one who embellishes each story, the one whose stories don’t need any help; some who remain humble by enriching the lives of others & others who fly because they are destined for greater things - they are all there, they all have their place, they are all part of our greater story; the story is big enough to encompass them all ...

The stories of growing up in a simpler time on another continent are told for understanding, not sympathy. These experiences enrich life, experiences make us grow & adapt, we cannot separate & curate only the good times but we don’t have to dwell on the less than perfect moments, all stories have them.

We tell our stories because it helps us to make sense of who we are too, it helps us to cope with change, emotions & obstacles.  Our stories most importantly keeps our past alive for us too;
They Softly Walk ...

They are not gone who pass

Beyond the clasp of hands ... 

They are not dead who live 

In hearts they leave behind. 

In those whom they have blessed 

They live a life again, 

And shall live through the years 

Eternal life, and grow

Each day more beautiful

As time declares their good, 

Forgets the rest, and proves

Their immortality. 

This Christmas, tell your family stories around the table & the tree - that is what it is all about, it is about sharing & about honouring & respecting each generation; young & old.

Thank you for stopping by & being part of my online community, be blessed

Dee ~💕~