With my core values of Justice, Belonging, and Gratitude, the power of story comes up often and resonates with me as a human and as an educator. Story is a means of creativity, healing, resilience, learning, community, and belonging. Recently I read the article Strengthening Resilience Through The Power of Story, by Jude Treder-Wolff and want to discuss this powerful read in today’s post.

Writing is my passion, both as an educator and as a human. Since I was young I have felt the importance of writing about my experiences in order to process them. I was fortunate to grow up in a family that had strong oral literacy, with storytelling as a way to come together and laugh, remember, and learn. When I model narrative and identity writing for my students, I strive to show the depth of my experiences and emotions through stories that show sadness, happiness, vulnerability, humor, joy, etc. I want to normalize the variety of ways we feel, therefore the variety of types of narratives we can write. In addition, I use mentor texts that show a range of experiences and emotions.

One thing that I have started to pay more and more attention to is the language I use to tell stories to myself and to others. As Treder-Wolf writes, the language we use becomes the truth that we carry. The language I use influences whether I learn and grow or become inflexible and negatively affected.

“A memory is elevated into a story through a creative process that requires self-reflection, through taking stock of ourselves and our circumstances from a wide lens.” – Treder-Wolf

 

By sharing with others our stories we are transformed and feel a deeper sense of self.

In Strengthening Resilience Through The Power of Story, Treder-Wolf writes about the link between story and resilience-building. She shares that according to Neuroeconomist Paul Zak,

“‘Our brains produce the stress hormone cortisol during the tense moments in a story, which allows us to focus.’ The fun, engaging parts of a story ‘release oxytocin, the feel-good chemical that promotes connection and empathy.'”

 

Happy endings help us feel more hopeful and optimistic. A range of stories helps us heal. When we share our stories we feel a sense of connection and common humanity because of our shared experiences and by learning about new experiences. This creates a sense of belonging which is essential to us as humans and as learners.

The part of the article that was the hardest, and most important, for me to read was:

“Family narratives ‘provide understanding, evaluation, and perspective on the events of our lives. Through narrative interactions about the shared past, parents help shape children’s understanding of who they were, who they are now, and presumably who they will be in the future.”

 

Because I grew up surrounded by stories told by my mom, grandmother, aunts, and cousins I know the importance of passing this gift onto my own children. I have strived to do this in the best way I can, through writing. Yet, I long for my children to hear stories from my mom who died when I was pregnant and from my dad who passed away when they were young. By sharing this right now, I am feeling a sense of vulnerability and healing which emphasizes the points shared in Strengthening Resilience. And by sharing this experience with my own children, I strive to model resilience.

I will return to this article again and again, to reread and go deeper… and to explore the numerous resources linked and embedded. As a final thought I want to emphasize that listening to the stories of other people builds a sense of common humanity and a rich appreciation of difference, similarities, persistence, perspective, and resilience. Story builds empathy and trust and nurtures relationships.

“True belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world, our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance.” – Brene Brown

 

Resources:
Strengthening Resilience Through The Power of Story, Jude Treder-Wolff
Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead, Brené Brown