This I Believe

Something I wrote a while back for NPR's weekly "This I Believe" segment.

This I Believe...

I believe life is a story waiting to be read by ourselves and others.

As a Kindergarten teacher, my day is filled with children bursting to tell me their stories; robins they saw that morning, plans for a birthday party three months away, or how much they miss their dad who moved out last weakened.

Children pay attention to the stories that surround them and read them with delight. Rarely do they just skim through, only to miss important details. Yet, as the years unfold, people often go silent and some even try to erase parts of their own story. However, with pages missing a book is incomplete.

I believe each word, sentence, and chapter is written through everyday events; coffee with friends, a walk through the park, or losing a job. All weave together to create a life story. Some incidents may seem trivial or random, but no chapter can be fully understood without each page.

I believe in my own story. The story of a little girl who grew up hating herself, never believing she was “good enough,” and always feeling out of place. The story of a young woman who’s pursuit of feeling worthy spiraled her into anorexia nervosa and near death. I believe in finding a will to live and in helping other people. I believe in love, hope, and recovery.

At times, one’s story may be difficult to understand. We may need to reread or rely on others to help us comprehend. Still, if we don’t pause long enough to read our own stories and those of others, we miss the adventure, mystery, and love each one has to offer.

I believe no one else can live another person’s story; yet through reading each other’s we have a better understanding of our own. Each story is unique, with the content unknown by glancing at the cover alone.

I believe coincidences are the Author’s way of telling us we are on the right page... and to keep reading.

I believe each day is a new page waiting to be written. Each sunset reminding us tomorrow is a clean sheet of paper.

I believe the Author has given us the pen to life and that the ink will not run dry until our story is complete.