The Healing Power of Storytelling

No matter how old you are, the loss of your mother creates a void in your life as deep and wide as the Grand Canyon. When my 93-year-old mother died in June, I struggled with a profound sense of loss. Intellectually, I told myself, “You were blessed to have Mama in your life for nearly 60 years”. But emotionally, I knew that I’d never hear her voice again, watch her play the piano, touch her soft face or taste her best dish—spaghetti with turkey meatballs!

The day of her funeral was hot, sunny and emotionally draining. Thank goodness, my cousin Laura (the tall lady in the photo) flew from Virginia to Louisiana to be with us. She was right there to help us get through that day. After the service, she showered us with stories about aunts, cousins and uncles we barely knew.

Instead of wallowing in sorrow, we hung on her every word. When she talked about crazy Uncle Rob, you could just see his anger in her face, hear his mean voice and feel the pain he inflicted on his wife. Laura brought that bully alive (he’s been dead for years) with vocal variety, strong gestures and colorful descriptions. She helped us take our mind—if just for a short time—off our pain.   

Laura’s stories connected us with the past and made us treasure our family more. Although it is hard to live without the woman who was the heart of our family, my mother’s strength and spirit will always be with us. So will the tradition of storytelling.

Storytelling reminds us that we love, we laugh, we cry, we grieve and we are stronger because we are all connected. The healing power of storytelling turned my salty tears into belly laughs and my deep sorrow into eternal gratitude. Thank you, Laura, for sharing stories that lifted my spirits and touched my heart!

Stories are a great vehicle for connecting people. Learn how to share your values, success stories and pivotal life lessons through storytelling. If you want to build your business storytelling skills, email me at Rosalyn@portercoachyou.com