tell me your story, show me your wounds

When we refer to the healing power of storytelling, we're not talking about some kind of magical cure. It won't restore the strength to your arm or leg after a stroke. It won't shorten the course of chemotherapy if you have cancer. It can't speed up wound closure or prevent infection. So how does it work?

Illness can leave us feeling fearful, angry, ashamed, or depressed...not a healthy emotion among them. Telling our story forces us to reflect on an experience we'd rather forget, or deny, or pretend never happened. Which is what makes it so difficult. We tell ourselves no one would be interested in hearing about it. We avoid talking about it because it still brings us to tears, or makes our hearts race, or embarrasses us. We don't want people to see us like that, so we order our memories, our feelings, our pain into lockdown. Then we wonder why we're getting headaches. Why we feel anxious all the time for no good reason. Why we can't relax without a couple of good stiff drinks at the end of the day. The aftermath of illness and trauma takes a toll on us in ways we don't always recognize.

The thing to remember is that writing is a safe haven for difficult problems.

"A day will come when

the story inside you will want

to breathe on its own.

That's when you'll start writing."

~Sarah Noffke~

 

If all you do is jot your thoughts down in a private journal, it will help. There, you can take your time searching for the right words to describe your experience and your feelings about it. There is no wrong way to begin. No one needs to see it. Even if you decide to take a torch to it later on, you will have learned something about your SELF. Where you're stuck and why. What helps and what doesn't. What you need to do in order to heal, and what you need to avoid.

"It's important that we share

our experiences with other people.

Your story will heal you and

your story will heal somebody else."

~Ilyana Vanzant~

The day will come when you're ready to share what you've learned. When you realize you need help and you're ready to reach out for it, you'll be able to share your story with the rest of us. Some of us have been through the same thing. We'll be there for you...to comfort and encourage you, to hold you up, to hear you out.

Some of us may not be as far along in the process as you are. We need to know how you survived. Where you turned for strength and comfort. How you ever managed to smile again. Tell us so we can heal, too.

"Tell me your story,

show me your wounds

and I'll how you what loves sees

when love looks at you.

Hand me the pieces,

broken and bruised,

and I'll show you what love sees

 when loves sees you."

~lyrics from The Story~

jan