Maya Angelou, one of my favorite poets and arguably one of the greatest story-tellers of all time once said, “there is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you”.
I think this quote holds a lot of truth. I’m a big believer in the power of storytelling. Humans have been sharing stories since the beginning of time. Our stories can carry traditions, memories, and even legacy. Stories can empower others, connect us, and draw us deeper into our sense of self. In case nobody has ever told you, you are full of stories too.
Our entire lives can be looked at as one long story. Within it, many various chapters containing significant life events that shaped us each into who we are today. Maybe it sounds a little cliche to think of it that way, but I’m here to encourage you that the story of your life matters! With that being said, your life story should be told!
One of my favorite things about my grandma is hearing her childhood stories. I’ve obviously only known her in her older age, so it’s so special to me when she shares stories with me about her childhood. Our childhoods hold beautiful similarities and also stark differences as society has evolved over the years. It’s so fun to compare different phases of our lives and learn what shaped my grandma into the sassy, sharp, and wise woman I know and love today! There’s history in those stories and when she shares them I get a better picture of her life as a whole. I think there’s so much value in that. As my grandma gets older (85 years old now!), I get a little sad thinking about how one day she won’t be here to share her stories any longer. I hope myself and my family can keep telling them and carry on her legacy long after she leaves this earth. She, along with any other human being, deserves to be remembered.
Conversely, I am only 23 years old (just a wee baby, some of you may be thinking). However, I often think about my future and what I want my life to be. I even think about how I want to change the world and the kind of legacy I want to leave behind. When people hear the word legacy, they often think of money, property, or possessions someone may be leaving behind to loved ones after they pass. The kind of legacy I’m talking about though is much deeper. I’m referring to a legacy of memories. I like how WikiEthica puts it as, “A legacy is a part of a person that lives on long after that person has passed. A legacy also leaves behind the story of a person so that they are not forgotten”. Our life stories are our legacies. Our stories are what we will be remembered by after we’ve left this earth!
Stories can live on in our heads for what feels like forever, but do our loved ones know our most cherished and important stories? We hope those closest to us will remember the stories that made us who we are long after we’re gone, but that isn’t guaranteed. This is one of the leading ideas behind the Guardian’s Gift time capsule. While the time capsule holds important documents and after life plans, it can also be used as a space to hold memories. It’s a place for stories to be documented and legacies to live on for generations to come! I encourage you to reflect on your most important life stories. Some stories bring us laughs and smiles. Some stories bring us hardship and growth. Each and every story holds so much value though! Do your loved ones know your favorite life stories? Do you know theirs? What kind of legacy do
you wish to leave behind? Just some food for thought. If you need a place to safely hold your life’s stories, The Guardian’s Gift can help you with that.
I’ll leave you with this quote, “There is no greater power on this earth than story”- Libba Bray.
Use your power, your story matters! May your story be told and may your legacy live on forever.
Talk to you soon
~Logan
