stories

I am finishing up a book of mine and about to start another. I open the front cover of the next book and find a note a close friend had written. She tells me how thankful to God she is for having allowed our paths to meet. As I read this note I saw it as a ripple in my life. I felt tears form in my eyes as I too was so grateful to have her in my life. I thought of all the people from all over the world that I have had the privilege of being good friends with. Many of them from Peru, Mexico, Germany, Canada, China, Egypt, U.S., Costa Rica, and Albania. I feel small in thinking how they have befriended me and shown me such love. I shrink in thinking that I could have been a better friend to them. Yet, I throw a prayer to heaven in gratitude, having been allowed to come to know who I would consider some of the best blood of this world.

I am writing a book and I find that as I write, experiences come to mind. Some are mine, some are those that have been told to me, some from other books I have read. Regardless, my story will end up becoming an organized piece of artwork representing the experiences of real people. Storytelling is the art and ability to capture the human experience and give it meaning. As we live through our lives looking through the lens of our eyes, we see things like we are the main  character of a movie. When we remove ourselves from ourselves as we listen to each other, we begin to watch a different film. Through someone else's eyes we see the world in different colors, maybe even HD! We encounter different scenarios that we could never imagine. But eventually we find ourselves in a similar scene, laughing a similar laugh, shedding a similar tear, hugging a similar hug, kissing a similar kiss, and saying a similar goodbye. It is in these scenes we find ourselves. 

I more than anything, love to hear stories of others. I love to feel their emotions throughout these permanent moments in eternity. It is a rich experience to reach that moment when I see myself in them, and them in Me. Through stories we connect to each other. I am grateful to have such sweet people apart of my story that I tell, and for the countless stories they told me.