The stories we tell

I remember a story my great-uncle told me about my grandfather, who passed away before I was born. My great-uncle and grandfather were out hunting and ran into a friend of theirs who was hunting as well. It was winter time and cold. The friend didn’t have a jacket and was shivering.

Seeing this, my grandfather offered him a coat. The friend declined, saying he couldn’t take my grandfather’s jacket, especially in such frosty weather. My grandfather told him to not worry about it, that he had another coat in the car.

After my great-uncle and grandfather parted ways with their friend, they kept walking and my great-uncle suggested they turn back to go grab his coat in the car. My grandfather smiled and said not to worry about it – he didn’t have another coat in the car. This story shared not just a piece of my grandfather with me, but also values that should be encouraged and shared with future generations. It communicated not just a great story about my grandfather, but also the admiration and importance of this lesson to my great-uncle who looked up to and admired my grandfather.

Take a moment to center yourself on your compass. Then, ask yourself the following questions:

• What are my favorite memories? What are my worst memories? What are the boring things in life that I seem to remember better than others?
• What were some formative experiences in my life? Who’s involved in them? When did they happen? How did I change?
• Where was God in these moments? Think through both the happy and the sad ones.
• How do these memories align with my values? What lessons did they impart to me that I’d want to pass down?
• What truths¹ have you learned in your life? Are they captured by your memories or stories?