We live in story – constantly telling and hearing the living drama that makes up the days of our life. And as much as we enjoy telling our own story, part of us also longs to hear our story through the eyes of someone else.
For instance, we might ask our parents to tell us about our childhood. While we lived it, our perspective is still limited. And our parents are able to offer insights we would miss otherwise.
Hearing them tell about our childhood allows us to see ourselves in a new light. In fact, we might meet parts of our childhood self for the first time. And beyond merely interesting, this can help us to understand ourselves better today.
We also might seek a similar perspective after a major presentation or project, a season of marriage, or even just through the routine course of life.
We’re curious about how others see us and this helps us to get outside of ourselves.
And, in the end, this is yet another example of how much we need each other.
On our own our story remains incomplete. It takes someone else to reflect back to us our very selves for us to see a fuller picture. We cannot know ourselves completely without each other.
And, to be sure, our stories are intermingled.
When our parents talk about our childhood, they’re telling us their story as parents just as much as they’re remembering what we were like as a kid. And so we get more of them and more of ourselves at the same time.
We miss the depth and richness of our story when we do all the talking.
Invite and take the time to listen to how others tell the story about you. This allows for deeper and more meaningful connections with all.
Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash
