The importance of stories

“A picture is worth a thousand words,” as the old saying goes. That may be true to some extent, but they often raise more questions than answers. We’ve probably all seen some of our relatives’ old photographs tucked away in a drawer; the yellowed portraits of people at work or faces solemnly looking into the camera. Sometimes there’s a name and a year written on the back, but just as often there’s no information at all, and we can only speculate about who they were. The words, the human stories, fill in those little gaps – which give everything a context.

It can certainly be breathtaking to delve into your family history through a well-crafted family tree with names, years, dates and accompanying pictures. On the other hand, getting to know a person’s inner self is something entirely different; thoughts, opinions, impressions, perspectives… those gems that can give us a little bit of recognition if we’re lucky, and an explanation if we’re looking for answers. These stories give us a context and have the power to weave generations together. Being able to not only look at a photograph, but also enjoy the stories of those who came before us can bring great satisfaction and enrich our lives.