We All Have A Story To Tell

How often have you thought about writing down your stories? All of us are born into life with a blank page, and all of us leave life with a book full of stories. And if we are in midlife, we have stories to tell. Personal stories don’t have to be big grandiose happenings; they are of value because they are our stories. The story is not only a narrative of what has happened to us in your life, but also what we have made of what happened—how we want to be remembered. Stories leave a legacy. Stories make us real and human.

Now that I am 50

I found my story at age fifty during my first vision quest—a journey into isolation, fasting, and exposure in Death Valley to seek purpose and discover meaning in my life. When I went on my first wilderness quest, I thought I’d try it once, to see if I could fast for four days and nights alone in the wild with only water for sustenance. At the time, I had no idea that wilderness questing would become an annual event in my life, a sacred ritual that connected me to the land, wove me into nature’s web, and transformed me from a woman who worked to please everyone else into a woman who forged her own path. I was not a writer, but I wrote a legacy book that traces that transformation.

Wilderness questing, also known as vision questing or vision fasting, is a centuries-old rite of passage intended to awaken personal vision and purpose. It is an act of courage and determination. I wasn’t a thrill-seeking super athlete or anything like that. I was an average, middle-class, middle-aged, white woman who longed for spiritual connection with something greater than myself. I found that connection in the natural world. Over a twenty-year period, I quested in Oregon, California, and Southern Washington in places like Death Valley, the Modoc National Forest, the Inyo National Forest, and the North Cascades Wilderness. Each time I went out into the wild with an intention to make peace with my past, and each time I came back with an unexpected treasure, a gift from Spirit. 

7 Generations

In the book Storycatcher by Christina Baldwin (which is a beautiful, poignant book, and a wonderful guide to how to begin writing your own stories) there is a chapter titled “Writing and Talking in the Seven Generations.” She offers us this wisdom: 

The idea of “the seven generations” is a gift from the Iroquois nation, a sophisticated and ancient tribal culture in the northeastern United States. Throughout their history, they have understood that decisions made by the living tribe must take into consideration the impact on the next seven generations of the tribe… In the larger scope of story-catching, we are challenged to raise our attention from self-healing to explore how stories might heal the families communities, and organizations we live within.

Writing was a new challenge in my life

I was not an experienced writer when I made the decision to write a book, but I knew I desperately wanted to leave a legacy for my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, as a pathway for my loved ones to follow and find their way back to their connection with Mother Earth. Through my stories, they can know how one of their ancestors lived, what she loved, and how the seed of wilderness questing was planted in her, took root in her life, and changed how she lived. I signed up for a writing class and learned how to get my stories out and onto the page. I spent five years writing and revising my stories. When I was ready, I found a publisher and birthed my book out into the world. 

Can you remember a story someone told you that has stayed with you for years and years—a story you have held onto like a small treasure in your pocket? Maybe a story from your father or mother, or a teacher or spiritual guide. I wonder how our individual stories might reach into the future and provide connection, teaching, and maybe even solace to future generations.

My wilderness questing experiences certainly changed me, but the process of writing about my experiences—reflecting on everything that happened and making sense of it all—changed me even more. Stories matter. Your story matters. If you wrote a book, what would you write about? What sort of things have been transformational in your life?

Glenda Goodrich: She lives in a cottage in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. As an artist, art doula, SoulCollage® facilitator, writer, and convener of ceremony, she brings together earth-based rituals, community gatherings, and creative expression in a search for new ways to show love for the Earth. She feels most alive exploring wild places and spending time with her two children, three grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. 

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