Why You Should Record Your Loved Ones’ Stories This Holiday Season

Stories are what make us human, and everyone has a story to tell.

I grew up listening to stories. True stories. Like the story about my great-grandmother, who had given birth to twenty-two children, and still managed to own five thriving businesses. Or the story about my grandfather, a twin, who as a newborn was almost buried alive — thought to have been stillborn like his brother. And who could forget the story about my father, who fell 130 feet down an elevator shaft, stood up, and walked away.

There’s the story about my uncle, who as a young boy in Ireland, was chopping wood and his younger sister’s head got in the way. Ah, but sure, she turned out to be fine, once they stitched up her scalp, of course.

There are plenty of humorous stories that end in sidesplitting laughter. And some that tug at your heartstrings, make your cheeks hurt from smiling. But there are also stories that catch you in the throat, sting your eyes with sorrow. Make you want to reach out and hold the storyteller, just to ease their pain a bit. To share in it — to lift their burden.

There are plenty of stories if you listen closely enough. Every person you encounter has a story to tell, and you’d be surprised that the people you share your holiday meals with have quite a few.