Sto-ry (noun)

According to my good friends at www.dictionary.com ...

story (noun):  a narrative, either true or fictitious, in prose or verse, designed to interest, amuse, or instruct the hearer or reader; tale.

I have thought a lot about this little word and I have grown rather fond of it. It's a pretty ordinary word with a pretty straightforward meaning, but it's often overlooked. (Sometimes when you say a word over and over you lose sight of its meaning and it even starts to sound funky. Try saying couch 10 times and let me know what you think). Still, I love the word story. I think it's lovely, and mostly because so much life can be wrapped up into its five little letters. Seriously, who doesn't love a good story? An adventurous, love story, a tale of bravery and courage, an against-all-odds, feel-good, hopeful, inspirational, laugh-until-you-can't-breathe, all-time classic? Everyone loves stories... including me. I love to tell stories and I love to listen to stories. My favorite stories revolve around the people in my world - my family, friends, teammates, co-workers, and students (especially my students...not a day goes by that I don't have a humorous story involving them!). 

Well, my life is a story (your life is a story, too) and within its pages are woven lots of little stories, or little moments, if you will, that all point to the Bigger Picture; moments that remind me of who I am, what I was made for, and Who I'm living for. I don't necessarily mean the dramatic, extreme, life-altering experiences (although those are important and included too), but I mean the little day-to-day things that happen in life - having a meaningful conversation, watching the sun set, getting a hug from a sweet 6th grader, laughing with close friends, watching the waves crash onto the beach, singing a favorite song at the top of your lungs, being surprised, experiencing something new - the everyday and the ordinary. Sometimes the simplest and smallest things are the most beautiful and most meaningful. So if you wanted to know my purpose for this blog, like the word story, it's pretty straightforward - capture the little moments, live in the little moments; live in the story.