Choose a Better Life

I love people.  I love that everyone has a story.  Everyone.

Some people’s stories include a difficult childhood, others a loving home life.  Some lived overseas, others have never left their hometown.  Some people are intertwined with sports, others are academics.  Some were given the best of everything, others had to drop out of school to help support their families.  The options are as endless as the number of people.

But everyone I meet has a story.  I wish I had time to hear them all.  I’d love to get to know the waiter who served my family and I brunch and the man who stood behind me in line at the post office.  I would love to know more about the lady who sits in the lobby with me at the doctor’s office.  She and her husband are shy and don’t like to talk much so I don’t probe.

But, whenever I have the chance I ask questions and listen to stories.  And what amazing people I have met.  Ordinary people with extraordinary lives.

I met a former CIA agent in the bookstore.  His wife is German and he has 3 kids, 2 sons and 1 daughter.  He has lived all over the world and speaks several languages.  We had a great chat not too long ago.

I met an Egyptian man who now lives in Sydney, Australia.  He has a fantastic family and an amazing heart for his kids.  He teaches classes at his church when they need someone to fill in.  And he loves owning his own business so he can be available for such occasions.

I had the opportunity to forge a friendship with my neighbor.  She is from the Middle East and is often left at home to take care of the kids while her husband travels back “home” to work.  She and I moved to North Carolina about the same time and we helped one another study for the driver’s test.   Because she is Muslim and wears a hijab I had the opportunity to vouch for her when she took her picture at the DMV.

I was able to share parenting stories with the technician who did my last mammogram because we both have kids about the same age.  My heart was saddened when she told me one of her children passed away early on.  But I was inspired by how she was determined not to let that be the only thing that defines her.

I have literally met people from all over the world and been blessed by listening and sharing part of our lives.  Even the folks I’ve chatted with in passing at airports have enriched my life as they widen my understanding of the world and the people in it.

I love to hear stories.  Everyone has one and no two are alike.  Even siblings who grew up in the same family have different experiences and interpretations of the events of their lives.  The more stories I hear the more fascinated and encouraged I am by the fact that no matter where we are from, we all share commonalities including: love for others, the desire to be known and understood, and dreams for our future.

Choose a Better Life by taking the time to invest in the lives of others.  Listen to their stores and if appropriate, share part of yours.  People are wonderful and our lives are enriched by their presence.