Story

Everyone has a story. Their story is a response to previous parental stories. Have you ever seen someone react to a situation? Or make an incomprehensible decision? Story. Reactions to life are a result of previous history of pain and grace. People have stories that wrap around pain, grace, anger, resentment, unconditional love, and forgiveness. I have to believe that our perspective have been effected by our story. What is our story? Is is compilation of smaller moments, chapters that leads to a greater story of our lives. I had a friend who was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He endured and remained with us 10 months longer than anyone anticipated. No one could figure it out. What was keeping this man so motivated to live, to remain with his family, to go to work everyday? I did not know until I met his father, his dad. His dad came from a coal mining town in upstate Pennsylvania who lost his dad at a young age. Because of the high level of risk with coal mining business, his family wanted out of there. He went to live with family in Philadelphia. He grew up as a child of the depression. In his younger days, he was a very talented runner and could have made it to the Olympics; until he tore up his knee. He and his wife struggled for years financially but he never gave up. It seemed like every time something good came his way, something would disrupt it, or take it away. Any one of us would have seen it as a missed opportunity, to be lost forever. He would see it an opportunity to grow, gain momentum, strength to overcome. To overcome, to persevere no matter what despite the circumstances. He taught his boys how to encounter life in this way - to never give up, that faith and family were vital to overcome. In every way, he instilled in his boys a will to live, to live through everything. His son lived his life, that he would live until his body would give out. My friend's body did give out after he fought an unbelievable fight. His father's body finally gave out after he fought until the very end. End to a story, possibly. Possibly a beginning to another story, story of wholeness. This father's story became his son's way of living, response to every circumstance in life.
There is a story behind every one of our reactions. There is a story behind every person's reaction. I become less angry and resentful when I realize that everyone has a story - what has shaped their lives has been a series of events, that there is some life altering event that has shaped and changed their lives. So next time I become irate at someone for their selfish, or insensitive, or completely blind approach to life. I will say, or should say, "what happened? what has caused them to respond to life and others in this way" If I ask what happened, maybe that will be the beginning of change for them and for me.