The power in storytelling

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By: SHEC - Alon Coret

In the summer of 2013, I began volunteering as a patient visitor in the long-term care ward of a hospital downtown. I became friends with two patients in particular – whom I will simply call “M” and “S” in order to respect their privacy. We would meet and chat every week, share a quick meal, play chess, or talk about whatever, really.

To this day, I pay them regular visits. M and S have become a cherished part of my life, and in turn, I have also become a special visitor to them. In the nearly two years that I have known them, M has become weaker and lost her eyesight. S had been of great assistance, and met several times with hospital staff to advocate on her behalf. Most importantly, however, the two have fallen in love over the years, and their recent engagement would soften anybody’s heart.

I am telling you this because these events have all been intricately weaved and conveyed through powerful stories – stories that heal in the very act of being told. I am not a physician; I am not a nurse; and I am not a social worker. Really, I have no professional qualifications whatsoever to be of assistance to M and S, both critically ill patients with slim chances of recovery. But I know how much I was able to help and learn simply by being there to listen and share. As soon as I walk into the kitchen area where M and S typically sit, I can already gauge what their day had been like. Whatever joys or sorrows they have – I am usually one of the first people to really hear them.

There is nothing overly complicated going on here. All I have provided (beyond the occasional snacks) is a presence and willingness to listen. Without prodding or prompting, the life stories, hopes, and pains of these two individuals came through. And in turn, as our friendship developed, I was able to share my own stories. If something important happens in my life, they will be among the first to know.

The more general message I want you to take away is this: stories matter. They matter to the teller, and they have so much teaching potential to the listener. With Reading Week just a couple days away, think about the stories you might be encountering. It could be an elderly relative whom you seldom see; it could be your parents back in British Columbia with whom you rarely Skype; or it could be an old friend struggling with depression, and you only find out now because, well, it’s been a while.

If you’re a taking part in any service-learning trip, rest assured that you will be meeting with many amazing people and hear some incredible stories. As a two-time Mac Serve participant, I can testify to that fact. In these instances, be mindful of the vulnerability you will be encountering; step outside of yourself and that sought-after Facebook profile picture, listen and observe closely, and take away something valuable. It is through the narratives of success and struggle – in whatever form they come – that we can raise awareness of local and global concerns; it is by attaching a name or face to an issue that we can begin effecting meaningful social change. This is just as important, if not more, than whatever community service is undertaken.

By becoming a listener, you have the unique opportunity to learn and grow. But you might also provide somebody with a highly therapeutic experience of being heard, understood, and cared for.

I invite you to go and find that next story.

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