About

Narrative captivates humanity. From the beginning, our ancestors used stories to remember loved ones, commemorate successes, and share experiences.

Author Will Storr, in his book The Science of Storytelling, explains how narrative impacts humans neurologically. Storr, along with other researchers, discovered that when an individual tells a story, the same parts of the listener’s brain are engaged as the teller's. This hints at the unification possible through telling and listening to each other's stories. 

Imagine the impact on world conflicts if leaders and combatants from Ukraine and Russia, Palestine and Israel, Sudan, and other violent areas had a structured place to listen to one another's stories. 

The stories we tell ourselves, especially about our identity, origin, and purpose, largely drive what we think and do.

In my own life, I have seen the particular strength that generational stories have on one’s identity and purpose. When one knows who they come from and what the people before them overcame, it creates an awareness of the emotional and biological ties which create a symbolic link that provides enduring strength to overcome the difficulties in their lives.

Knowing the details about one’s ancestors provides comfort that you are not the only one to have faced fear, felt abandoned, or lost hope. It helps you see your place in the human family.

Our experiences are not new. Humans have dealt with desperation and elation for our entire existence. Discovering and immersing ourselves in our ancestors' stories can create a well of strength deep enough to draw upon during our bleakest moments.

I hope that by writing family narratives, I can help connect others to their ancestors and the strength that comes from knowing who they are and where they come from. 

Sincerely,

Catherine Menlove

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