Glowing + Growing, Parenting with Purpose

Stories That Shape Us: The Gift of Shared Storytelling

From the moment Lucy was born, stories have been part of her world. If I wasn’t holding a book in my hands, I was telling her stories of my own. Bedtime, breakfast, car rides—it didn’t matter where we were, there was always room for a story.

That love for books has grown into something deeply rooted in who she is. Today, I don’t have to remind her to read. Quite the opposite—I’m often peeling her away from a book so she can come eat dinner with us! She’ll curl up on the couch with a pet in her lap (apparently, they love a good story too), sneak in chapters on car rides, or choose a book over even the most thrilling low-scoring Lions game. Books have become her constant companion, her delight, her adventure.

And while she is joyfully devouring novels far beyond her age, I hold close to my heart that she is still six. She still loves the magic of picture books. She still snuggles in and lets me read to her. But now, in this sweet new stage, the roles are shared. She reads to me.

Watching Lucy become a storyteller herself has been a joy. She changes her tone depending on the character’s feelings, her voice rising and falling with emotion and inflection. Storytelling is more than reading words on a page—it’s a gift, a skill, and a way of connecting.

This journey reminds me why stories matter so much. They shape our children. They ignite imagination. They teach empathy. And they knit us together—one page, one chapter, one shared story at a time.

Leave a comment