First Baptist Church of Herndon

The Story Continues

Linda Soller | Jun 05, 2023

Recently I had the pleasure of visiting the Chrysler Museum which was hosting “The Raven and the Box of Daylight.” It’s an immersive exhibit by artist Preston Singletary. Preston is a member of the Tlingit tribe from southeastern Alaska, and he is known for his story telling in glass. This particular story was about creation. As I walked around the exhibit, I wanted to touch everything. It was hard to believe the spectacular creations were made of glass. While the telling of this story in glass was particularly unique, the simple act of telling the story was impactful for those of us who experienced it.

Days later, in the waiting room of my eye doctor, I struck up a conversation with a lady in her 80s. She explained she was from Austria and would soon be taking her youngest grandchild to Europe to visit her homeland. She quickly added that the child knows all the names of the relatives and all the stories, but she has never met her extended family. I was struck by her mention of “knowing all the stories.” It was another example of how a generation passes along family traditions and heritage, one story at a time.

Later that day I watched “Finding Your Roots.” Two famous successful people appeared as the guests, knowing next to nothing about their family history because no one told the stories. There were stories of pain, resilience, joy, hope, strength, and dedication. Any one of those examples could have helped the guests as they were growing up with questions. But the stories had stopped somewhere along the way.

Two of my grandchildren posed in front of the very small concrete block house where their great, great grandparents raised their great grandfather and his two siblings. A humble home yes, but a big part of their story.

In the raven story he brings light to the world by opening a box. The sky, water, and land are populated. You hold your box with stories of family, community, troubles, hope, and faith. Your stories give you a foundation. You can hold your box tightly as a personal treasure or open your box and let the story continue. I believe we could all use a good story, especially those who will make our future stories.

Be the love in the world  : )   Linda