Storytelling With My Family

As we prepare for the launch of our Storytelling for Leaders Master Class, I’ve reflected on my life as a story gatherer and storyteller. I’ve loved writing and telling stories since I was young. Family interactions can be some of the most impactful stories to tell.

I heard stories from my great-grandparents as they told us about growing up on farms in Louisiana. I vividly remember my great-grandmother telling us about how they would get a chicken from the farm for dinner.

We didn’t have a lot growing up, but we would often have a relative come stay with us for a weekend or longer. You also never knew which kids from the neighborhood would show up at our house on Saturday morning for a pancake breakfast my mother would make.

When my father passed away a few years ago, the night before his funeral was not filled with sadness but was a celebration of a great life as we shared stories about growing up and our interactions with dad. We laughed about the well-deserved punishments we received or the projects we worked on together around the house.

Think about your family interactions and tell us about them in the comments below, if you can. Storytelling begins with collecting stories.