Not Always a Bedtime Story

As a child, I never got into "storytime" that was offered by grade school teachers.  I was a loner and I would prefer to just read the book alone.  All of the questions being asked and comments on the pictures would irritate me.  But then as I entered motherhood, storytime had become important to me and my sons.  It was the time to wind down and teach my children about the world we live in.  That was the time to allow their imaginations to run free.  I wanted to expose them to more than what I, or their father, could offer at the time. 
At story time we could either read their favorite book, or just discuss our upbringing as children.
It's so funny that, with fiction or non-fiction stories,we would always begin with "Once upon a time".  That indicated that what I was about to share was in the past and there was a lesson to be taught, so pay attention.

After reading "Storytelling" by Wanda J. Franklin and Joanne Kilgour Dowdy, I now realize why storytelling was so important to me as a mother.  According to the authors, "story telling helps us create a foundation on which we build an understanding of the world as well as provide a filter through which we experience life" (119). 

I now realize that everything and everyone has a story to tell.  We go about our daily lives communicating with others and whether or not we realize it, we are telling a story.  We discuss our experiences at work, home, school, and play.  We talk about lessons we have learned from others, or just re-hash a story we heard.  But all-in-all, casual conversations are one big story being told.
All the stories we share have a specific purpose.  They can be divided up as stories of safety, stories of morals/values, stories of health, stories of religion, or stories of culture. Most of the time a lesson is to be taught and learned through the story.

As a mother, I can relate to the section regarding story telling through research.  Although, I have never researched or interviewed another black woman, I can see why it was important to me to be sure I was the one telling them my story.  Franklin and Dowdy made reference to how, when a woman is sharing her story with others, she is giving up herself.  This is sometimes hard because not all may understand the inner struggle we as black women endure, and if we are ever so brave enough to share with others, we like to be sure our information is regarded as fine treasure. 

Moving forward, I will hold people's conversations with more reverance because I now know that they are telling me their story.