The Gift of Storytelling
If you’re thinking it’s been awhile since you’ve seen a post from me, unfortunately you are correct. Back in August, I started a new gig as a middle school ELA teacher. It’s been quite a few years since I have been in the public school classroom. The big lesson I’ve learned so far? Middle schoolers aren’t the same as the college students I taught for seven years. Most days end with me falling into bed exhausted. However, I am grateful for the opportunity to make a small difference in the lives of my students.
One of the things I’m trying to do is to have books in the classroom which the students would want to read. When I moved into the classroom, there were plenty of books on the shelves, but they were worn out, old, or simply titles the students wouldn’t be interested in. Once those were weeded and stored elsewhere, I went to Barnes & Noble and asked for recommendations.
One of the books I came away with was Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia. It’s the first book in a trilogy about a 12-year old boy grieving the death of his best friend, Eddie, who has died in a school bus accident. Tristan blames himself for the death, and he clings to Eddie’s journal which had been gifted to him. Sent to his grandparents’ farm for the summer, Tristan discovers a grove of bottle trees. When he breaks one of the bottles, Tristan finds himself transported into another world, one inhabited by African American folk heroes and West African gods. His grandmother had told him stories about these heroes his whole life. Now, Tristan finds himself teaming up with the very real Brer Rabbit, John Henry, Gum Baby, and even Anansi the trickster spider god. Together, they work to save their world from an evil haint.
However, it isn’t just muscles and wits that will save the people and their lands. The real power lies in the stories of the people, which have been collected in The Story Box. Many people seek to possess The Story Box, for it is filled with a strength that cannot be matched. Each time a story is told, it gets added to the box, and the one who holds the box is infused with its power.
This may just be a children’s book, but it’s message is for all of us- stories hold a very real power that connects us with our loved ones. When we share them with others, stories can remind us that we are not so along. Stories give us courage for the days ahead, as we remember that we have not journeyed through this life alone. We remember that we have had someone in our life who made us feel loved, accepted, and like we belonged somewhere.
I believe that when someone we love dies, one of our greatest fears is that they will be forgotten by others. Our person means so much to us, and we will carry their story and their lives with us for the rest of our own lives. But, what if no one else carries their story? What if this world continues to turn and our person becomes simply someone who has lived?
Photo by Unsplash
Tristan Strong reminds us telling and collecting the stories matter.
For those of you who missing someone(s) close to you, please don’t hesitate to share their stories. If you are somewhere and you think of them, I hope you are able to share with those you’re with. If you’re in worship and one of the songs is one of your person’s favorite songs, please share that sweet memory with someone else. If you’re alone and you smile at something your person said or did, take a moment to open a Word document, the Notes app, or a regular ole notebook and write that story down.
The stories are important, and there are many of us who would be honored to hear, and to hold, them along with you.
Peace,
Denise
