Harold wrote, “If we lose our stories…we lose ourselves.” What do you think he meant? Do you feel he’s correct? Why or why not?

Harold wrote, “If we lose our stories…we lose ourselves.” What do you think he meant? Do you feel he’s correct? Why or why not?

When we leave this Earth our experiences are erased unless we leave behind stories that others will continue to tell. My seven grandchildren delight in hearing stories about my childhood, my parent’s childhood, and their own parent’s childhood, so I have faith that my stories will outlive me.

This was one of the great quotes in the book. As one knows the Book of LIfe for oneself, is supposedly written before you start, how boring it would have been to know what you were going to do before you did it. Life has to be an adventure hopefully a good one.

If we tell our stories, we can begin to understand ourselves.

I loved the quote!
It couldn't be more true.

I love the fact that there are companies now who send you prompts so you can record your life stories and create a book. Genius!

That is so very true. In a world where we seem to be absorbed by technology and the advent of AI, the most authentic stories are our own.

I totally agree with Harold! As long as our stories are told, we will not be forgotten. Everyone has a story. Every life has meaning. Remembrance is important. As long as we are remembered, we live!

I agree that if we lose our stories we lose ourselves. The stories that are passed down through the years help us understand where we came from and how that helps shape who we are. It also helps us learn to grieve the loss of those we love.

How often do you hear someone say "I wish I had asked my now gone relative (Mother, Aunt, Grandparent, etc.)" that question. We are all a result of all that happened before us. We often wish we knew more of those lives and decisions. Those are our stories.

Both culturally and personally your stories, your history, are the major influences of your future.

i agree with many others, we are the results of happened to our ancestors before us. As an older person, I now wish I had been more curious about my Granny's life before coming to California. How did she survive birthing 12 children in the middle of the Dust Bowl? As a teenager I was too busy with my schooling, friends and social life to spend what I now know could have been valuable time with her, asking my many unanswered questions

I agree with that quote. However, our stories will live on as long as there is someone alive to tell them.

I think the quote is accurate. It concerns me that some people in our country want to erase historical events/stories that may not be our best moments or that make people uncomfortable. We can use history as a guide into the future.
Family stories keep us connected us to our past, as well as guiding us in the future. It is fun to learn about those who came before us and their journey. Through stories we often become more connected.

Harold means, if we lose our stories, we lose our history and our understanding of where we came from. If we lose this history, we ultimately struggle with our identity, since part of who we are is of the people we came from. Our stories weave together the fabric of how we came to be who we are today.

Our stories are where we came from, after we pass they need to move forward with the next generation so they know where they came from.

Our memories of our deceased loved ones keep us grounded in our past and provide hope for future generations. My hallway is filled with pictures of long-deceased relatives. I must write on the pictures, why the photo captures the spirit and essence of my deceased relatives. Yes, stories are important.

Our stories are important. All true stories are important. Fiction is a wonderful format for telling true stories.

I agree with the above. Our stories are our legacies. Once no one remembers our stories and we are already gone. We will be forgotten.

I'm not sure we lose ourselves if we lose our stories, but we certainly lose part of ourselves. My mother was a great storyteller and she recited much of our history to her children. We loved to hear those tales. I believe it brought us closer to our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. My cousins, from the same side of the family, were unaware of their own histories. We told them! I felt sad that they did not know it.

Stories shape human experience. It's how we remember and record history. It's how we frame our world and navigate it. If we lose our stories, we lose all that came before and ourselves.

Stories hold us together and reveal the uniqueness and universality of human experiences. Without stories we would all be alone.

I heard a quote this past year when my 94 year old dad passed away. "We all die twice.. Once is our physical death and the second is when the last story is told about us"....this is so true. That is why it is so important to retell all of the stories of our past and our relatives to keep our memories going.

Whether for good or for ill, we do seem to retell our stories throughout our lives. Our stories make us who we are. Some times, like in the Disney movie "Frozen", we need to "let it go" in order to become our better or best selves.

This quote is beautiful & is what the book is about in a capsule. I'm the keeper of stories in my family through photo albums - hard copy & now printed digital books. I benefit so much from my son & his story telling abilities. It's a joy to hear his tales - it could be simple (I cleaned up the deck & found a beautiful nest to while traveling in Greece on my bike I was attacked by a pack of wild dogs...) Stories flesh out our lives & give them substance that others will remember when we are not around.
I definitely agree with Harold's quote - how boring life would be without stories which may be true or partly true or totally made up - it's all about the belief & the teller!

I agree with Harold. Our stories, our history if you will, make us who we are. Without them, we don't really exist.

Our stories are our identity. They are our past - the material that binds us together as people - gives us a place to be from. It seems to have been that way through all time.