Our Stories Are Gifts

Years ago, I shared a story about my mom on stage at The Riverview Theater as a part of a Listen To Your Mother Twin Cities Holiday Show. The story detailed my family's Christmas Eve traditions, some of my most treasured childhood memories, each one the artful work of my mother. I didn't know that as a child -- then I thought they magically appeared! -- but of course as an adult I came to understand that magic is something we make for each other.

I loved remembering my childhood holidays while writing the piece and it was a thrill to read it on stage, but the highlight of the experience was sharing the story with my mom. While my family is the storytelling sort, often telling and retelling and correcting each other's versions of favorite lore, I hadn't before taken the time to write out what I remembered from those snowy Christmases past and what from them I have carried with me, cherished, in my adult life. My story became an attempt at saying thank you for a most wonderful gift.

I believe our stories, too, can be gifts in and of themselves. Offering a treasured moment or experience to someone who shared that time or might otherwise appreciate it extends the treasure, maybe even multiplies it. It is a thank you or a note of encouragement or a reminder of connection, or all three.

There is no wrong time to share stories that foster connection, but today seems about as good a time as ever. As we approach the holiday season this year, join me for a two-part workshop on "Story as Gift." In our time together (on Zoom, from the comfort of your own space), you can draft and refine a specific story from your own life with the intention of giving it on to a loved one. Our focus will be on memories that encourage, connect, and add meaning -- maybe even magic -- to our lives. And there is a gift just in taking the time to savor these memories!

—Kris Woll