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{"id":682,"date":"2017-12-28T09:44:20","date_gmt":"2017-12-28T16:44:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thewayofconsciousdeath.com\/?p=682"},"modified":"2017-12-28T09:51:03","modified_gmt":"2017-12-28T16:51:03","slug":"the-significance-of-stories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thewayofconsciousdeath.com\/the-significance-of-stories\/","title":{"rendered":"The Significance of Stories"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Earlier this month, I was honored to participate in Naropa University\u2019s Compassionate Approaches to Aging and Dying Conference (to learn more about this event and be informed of similar ones in the future, visit: <\/span>https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/compassionate-approaches-to-aging-and-dying-transforming-the-paradigm-of-care-tickets-30228980695#<\/span><\/a>). \u00a0I gathered with others — end of life workers, caregivers, scholars, and spiritual practitioners — who in various ways devote their lives to death and dying. \u00a0So much wisdom was shared that weekend; and the vast majority of it arose in the form of storytelling. \u00a0Indeed, each question raised during every question and answer session I attended contained a story in some form. \u00a0Those sharing may have thought they were providing contexts for their inquiries, and the tales they told did offer frameworks for their queries. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But they delivered so much more.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

We often rush through the process of telling our stories, considering them the preamble to the \u201creal stuff\u201d, as at the conference. \u00a0Other times, we hurry to \u201cfill one another in\u201d on the occurrences of our lives, not realizing that the telling and the hearing is just as important as the content. \u00a0I am blessed to companion others in my Spiritual Direction practice; and frequently a person I am supporting says something to me like, \u201cI know I\u2019m going on too long\u201d or \u201cI want to finish this story part so we can get to the work\u201d. \u00a0But so often the gifting and receiving of our story <\/span>is <\/span><\/i>the work, not only in Spiritual Direction but in life.<\/span><\/p>\n

I think that we sometimes get confused about the purpose of stories. \u00a0We may treat them as entertainment, leading us to believe that we must amuse or at least interest one another. \u00a0\u00a0Stories can certainly do that; and I suppose that entertainment is sometimes the sole purpose of storytelling.<\/span><\/p>\n

. . . but not often. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Sharing stories is integral to our personal and collective growth and to our bonding with one another. \u00a0We tell stories to:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n