The importance of storytelling - and celebrating it!

There’s a reason humans have always told stories - - it’s hardwired in our minds. Sharing personal anecdotes with each other makes up about 65% of all conversations. And studies show that our brains release cortisol, dopamine, and oxytocin when we listen to stories. These chemicals help us create emotional connections and understand empathy.  Previously, Richa Karmarkar shared her thoughts on stories and the celebration of Holi. RNS is continuing to Celebrate the Storytellers, this time with a message from journalist Bob Smietana on Easter about how storytelling leads to connection.  The impact of listening “I make my living as a storyteller—but more than that, I experience storytelling as an essential part of being human. I get the privilege of hearing other people’s stories. I often tell people that the key to reporting – and listening – is giving up the idea that you need to win. Most of us, when we talk about God or life or the meaningful things in life, are trying to win. We want to make sure our point of view is heard and respected. But we rarely give other people the chance to experience that same kind of respect and care. In the times we live in, listening is a rare gift.  Connection through storytelling “Storytelling helps us know our neighbors—and gives us a chance to see them as neighbors rather than strangers. A story can sneak past our defenses and soften our hearts, helping us see what we have in common. That’s essential in a time when people use stories to tell us who to hate or why we can never trust or co-exist with people who are different from  us. One of the great joys of learning someone else’s story is that you get a glimpse at just how big the world is—and how unique each person is—and how there are a million ways to see the world around.” An Easter remembered  “I met Ken Goslin in 2011 and shared how his life was resurrected in an article on Easter Sunday. Ken had struggled for most of his life and had lived on the streets for years. A year earlier, he’d been diagnosed with the brain tumor that would take his life. He’d lost the ability to speak but could write, and one day, while he was sitting outside a local shelter, holding a sign that just said, “help,” he met a young grad student named Lindsay Krinks. They struck up an unlikely friendship, and over the next few months, Lindsay and some of her friends would become a surrogate family to Ken. She even helped him sort through his notebooks learning the story of his life, hearing his hopes and fears, his dreams and disappointments.  I visited with him in the hospice, read some of his notebooks, and conducted an interview, with Ken writing out his answers on a legal pad. In those last days, he said he felt a sense of hope that he thought was lost. And his hope and kindness became contagious. One of his caregivers, a nurse named Lauren Jones, became particularly close to him and told me of the impact he had had on her life. She said, ‘I thought I could make him feel less alone,” she told me. “He has made me feel less alone as well.’” Thank you for making RNS a trusted platform for storytelling and religious news the world over. We humbly ask you to continue your generous support in the next few weeks as we begin to raise critical funds that allow us to write the stories and share the voices you care about most.

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