Gifts of Story and Storytelling

Stories are among the great connectors, regardless of age, race, culture, or any other real or imagined difference between us. They ignite our imagination and can help us explore our past and present differently.

For the past four months, I have had an opportunity to participate in the Catholic Sisters Oral History Project.  The purpose of this project is to capture stories about the lives of Catholic sisters in the United States. Each sister is paired with and interviewed by a female college student - the interviews are to be preserved in a digital archive in audio, video and written format. I was paired with a first year international student from Venezuela. Although she was to interview me, we sat together on multiple occasions asking each other questions out of pure curiosity. We exchanged nods of understanding and laughed a lot.

Stories, storytelling, and questions of curiosity have a way of opening and connecting hearts. They help us find or re-discover meaning in our lives and have the power to transform our perceptions of the world.

If you had a chance to tell some of your story, what would you say? Where might your curiosity carry your listening, learning... and thoughts of your future?

Tanya Williams, OP

St. Louis Park, MN