Your story…?
As important as it is – it is not always your story, but your character that will make an impact on others.
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In my 8th or 9th-grade year, I read Charles Dicken’s “A Tale of Two Cities” with my English class.
The story resonated with me and I remember finishing the book knowing it would always be on my list of favorites.
Fast forward 30 years later, and as much as the book left an impression on me back then, I could not tell you the names of any of the characters or even any logical order of events from the story. I only remembered the love, suffering, sacrifice, and a guillotine (– and that it was a great novel with an iconic opening sentence).
I recently decided to purchase the book along with a copy of the Cliffs Notes. (I would love to sit and read the book again – but who has time for that!?)
I began reading the Cliffs Notes to refresh my memory. Even after the introduction to the novel, the story was still ambiguous.
It wasn’t until I began reading the “List of Characters”, and their detailed description, that the story came alive again!
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Maya Angelou said it best when she stated, “I have learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”.
Years from now, your character will continue to speak for you. Your friends will not remember each adventure you had, but they will remember the laughter and happiness you shared together.
Your children will not remember each time you cooked a great meal or even each time you took them to their favorite restaurant for their birthday. But they will remember how much love and kindness you put in the process of doing those things.
Live in a way that when your name is mentioned, your character leaves a narrative of hope, compassion, and joy in the lives of others.
Stay Tuned…
This post has been my hardest to complete since I started my blog because I couldn’t find a song to compliment it! It has been in my drafts for a couple of weeks now, and I refused to do another post until it was completed. (funny how it’s also one of my shortest!)
I have NEVER had this issue with any of my other posts. I usually wake up with a song on my heart and sometimes I have the song before I even begin writing.
Not this time.
Sam Cooke told us years ago to “Keep Movin’ On”… so I will move on… but if you find a song that talks about how character is everything (and doesn’t sound like a Sesame Street special), let me know!
Enjoy!
Traci D. Fuller, Pearls and Pretty Pens © 2021
Pearls and Pretty Pens 