Why It’s Important to Share Your Story
Ever since I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with stories. My dad read Little House on the Prairie and The Chronicles of Narnia to me when I was very young, which instilled a love of reading in me that followed me to adulthood. I still read as a way to escape and explore worlds different than my own. But I also do it to explore the shared experiences of humanity, because literature holds the essence of what makes us human in so many ways. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been reading a book and it made me pause and gasp because I’ve felt that feeling too. The way the author strung words together just so in a way that illuminated a piece of my soul. For years I’ve been trying to recreate that feeling in my own novels in progress — even though they still sit mostly unfinished on my computer. Writing a novel is hard work, but if one person, somewhere, were to read my work and go, “me too,” it would have been worth it.
It’s not until recently that I realized that storytelling can be done with our lives, too — it’s not just a concept reserved for fiction. There have been so many wonderful people on the internet and in person who have shared their stories and made me feel less alone. Influencers, writers, and public figures, yes — but also dear friends, too. Every time we share our story with someone who needs it, it unlocks a piece of us and it unlocks a piece of them. I owe my life to every person who has shared their story, who has extended their hand to me in times of trouble and said “you are not alone.”
Every time we share our story with someone who needs it, it unlocks a piece of us and it unlocks a piece of them.
I didn’t realize that sharing my own story would have this power, but I’ve gotten such an unexpected outpouring of love from all of you. I keep screenshots of meaningful comments in a folder labeled “Chronic Positivity Positivity,” because I so often doubt myself and what I’m doing with this space. For so many years, I really thought no one cared what I had to say. I felt forgotten, shoved in a corner like a dusty old box. I feel like the past year has reinforced for me that everyone has innate value and worth, including myself. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has reminded me of this by commenting or reaching out — every time you share that my words have affected you, you affect me just as much.
Everyone’s story matters, even if you don’t think it does. Someone, somewhere, needs to hear your story. Trust me when I say that your words could be the puzzle piece to unlocking someone’s healing, or at the very least reminding them that they are not alone. As someone who has so often felt alone with my chronic illness, I think that’s one of the most powerful things you can do for somebody: remind them they are not alone. So don’t hide away or keep your words locked up. Don’t think for a second that you don’t matter. Every story matters. Every story can heal. What story will you tell?
With love,
Sky
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