In many families there are doctors, teachers, nurses, and various other professions. All go to work daily, year in and out. Our family is no different but in our family we also had a “Storyteller.”
She was named Lillie Mae at birth but during her lifetime she acquired many names and was known to all of us by different names. She was “Aunt Mae” to me, “Honey” to her mate, “Mama” to her children, and “ Merci” to her grandchildren. However, I think the best name she had, was “The Storyteller”.
She would get a call from a school, a library, or a church group wanting her to come share a story with them. She wrote the date on her calendar and would leave herself a little note so she didn't forget. When I talked with her on the phone, as I did once or twice a week, she would tell me where she was going and I could hear the excitement in her voice. She would soon be off on another adventure with the children!
She would enter a roomful of young children with a big smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye, ready to share one of the many stories she knew. We don't know where she acquired her stories, from the heart I suspect. She didn't stand over the children but would get down in the floor with them as they circled in front of her. In her later years, when she couldn't get on the floor as easily, I noticed she sat in a little chair and would bend over, in order to get close to the little ones.
The room would get quiet and she would start the story that would take you away to a magic fairy kingdom or to a little bunny painting Easter eggs. As she would tell the story, she would make eye contact with each child, and sometimes use hand gestures to make a point in her story; always a smile on her face.
She had such a magical way about her when telling the stories that she didn't have to dress up or wear a funny hat. To my knowledge she never wore a costume or funny shoes. She came as herself, ready to share a gift with a precious child.
Each child would listen in total fascination, their eyes bright, some with their fingers in mouth, some lying down and some just sitting quietly. Sometimes, a child would get excited or laugh aloud at a certain part. I just knew that as the story unfolded, each child was carried away to the land of fun and excitement. When the story ended, the children would always have questions or beg for another story.
I've often wondered how many children, now grown, remember the stories of our family storyteller. I hope there are many and that they are telling her stories to other children.
Our family storyteller shared her gift with us as we were growing up and we all have our favorites but I think I most enjoyed seeing her joy when she went out on a mission...the mission of making a child happy.
