The Stories
The best way to know someone isn't by reading their obituary.
It's by hearing their stories.
The funny ones. The crazy ones. The touching ones. The stories everyone remembers—and the ones that haven't been told in years.
Sometimes they're about the big moments. More often, they're about the little things.
The sayings they always used. The things they did that drove everyone crazy. The traditions. The adventures. The mistakes. The friendships. The moments that still make everyone in the family laugh.
And, of course, the stories that begin with:
“I probably shouldn't tell this one…”
Those are often the stories that tell us the most about who someone really was.
Because when people start telling stories, something wonderful happens: the person you're celebrating starts to feel present again.
One Story Can Change the Room
Jim was a customer at one of my video stores before he became a close friend.
At his Celebration of Life, I told a story about those early days when money could get a little tight. I kept the monthly bills in a hat. When some extra money came in, I’d remove one bill from the hat and pay it.
If a collection company kept calling, I’d tell them, “If you keep bothering me, I’m going to remove your name from the hat.”
The room broke up laughing.
And then something happened.
People started telling their own stories about Jim.
One story led to another. The room filled with laughter, memories and people remembering Jim as they knew him.
That’s when I realized something:
I wasn’t there simply to talk about Jim. I was there to help everyone remember Jim.
Every Life Has Stories Worth Telling
The stories don't end when the ceremony does.
They stay with us—in the laughter, the memories, and the people who knew them best.
Tell me about them.