‘Tell me another story, Nana.’ 

As a little girl, I’d beg my grandma to tell me stories; so she would.

Storytelling is a trait that runs deep in my family’s blood. For years, I listened to my grandmother’s stories of journeys, where little girls with wavy brown hair and eyes as brown as the wet earth would go on journeys to save animals. When I wasn’t listening to my grandma’s stories, I would hear my uncle’s stories about his own life. He’d talk of adventures like getting lost in the Amazon Rainforest after straying from his campsite (from what I know, at least some parts of the story are true).

To me, it didn’t matter if the stories were real or made up, fantastical or mysterious, because it was the components of the story that mattered to me. In each story, there was a sequence of events that unfolded into something beautiful. At the end of my grandmother’s story, the little girl with curious, bright brown eyes ultimately saves the kitten. At the end of my uncle’s story, he finds  safety in his camp after being chased by angry farmers.

Undoubtedly, storytelling has carried on in my blood, evident in my passion for journalism and the many journals atop my bookshelf. They lull me to sleep by reciting their stories to me and remind me that I am a storyteller at heart.

Storytelling is a craft—one that when done thoughtfully, can be a form of art. There is the intended message buried into those words that give depth to the story. Storytelling is far from putting words together; there’s intonation and imagery that keeps listeners entertained. From this ability, I find that storytelling encourages communication skills and engages people, something that everyone benefits from. The great thing about storytelling is that anyone can do it.

As a child, I never recognized the importance of storytelling. All I knew were my grandmother’s adventure stories and my uncle’s “true” stories. Now, I see it as an essential tool in life. Stories are a part of people’s daily lives, from listening to the radio to hearing “true” spooky stories from a friend.

Soon, it will be my turn to pass down and create my own stories for the little girls and boys who carry curiosity in their eyes, especially the children in my family. For now, I will continue to beg Nana to tell me her stories.