I am very blessed to have 5.2 grandchildren. (One is currently in the oven and due in May.) One thing I have experienced in my life is the extremely strong desire for grandchildren, nieces and nephews to hear family stories. 

About ten years ago, my whole family was gathered tightly in my parents relatively small house. There were all nine siblings and over 40 nieces and nephews. It was human wallpaper. One of my brothers starting telling a story about he recovered his stolen bike. Every niece and nephew listened in wrapped attention and hung on every word. When he was done, a chant for more stories erupted, “Tell us more stories!” More stories were told. The authenticity and accuracy of some of the stories were questioned by some siblings, but the nieces and nephews didn’t care. They loved the stories. They wanted more and more. We gave them everything we could and they loved it.

Fast forward to today, and I am driving two of my grandchildren to school with my story telling brother. We start telling those same stories. My grandchildren loved them! They wanted more and more stories. Now every time I drive my grandchildren to school they want ‘old family stories.’ 

I am convinced that there is a very, very strong drive in young people to hear or read ‘old family stories.’ They can be about recovering a stolen bike or how we took down a hornet’s nest with wooden poles protected in red hoodies and Halloween masks. It doesn’t have to be about something important – it just has to be about family. 

Tell your grandchildren stories. Write those stories down. They don’t have to win a Nobel prize or even be completely true. Just tell stories. Your grandchildren are going to love them and want to hear or read every single one of them.

It is going to create a bond. It is going to unite them with family. It is going to make them feel included and loved. These are the stories that our family shares. If you are in our family, you know these stories. This is how we love each other – by sharing stories.

“Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.”

Mark Twain