They Remember My Stories

Storytelling brings such joy into my life.
I love to tell the stories.
It is a great feeling to look out at 180 or more elementary school children seated on the gym floor with their eyes glued to me - -waiting for the stories to start.
Sometimes their mouths are open - like little fish gulping water.
Sometimes their eyes light up when they jump ahead of me to the ending of the story.
You can see the "I got it " in their eyes.

This is the third year I have been telling stories in the schools, as storyteller-in-residence for the Audubon Naturalist Society, Chevy Chase, Maryland.
In some cases I have been to a school last year and the year before.
That keeps you on your toes - you can't tell the same stories.
Sometimes I don't remember what stories I told in each school. I know, I know,
I should write them down and I do - but not always.

This afternoon I looked at the fourth and fifth grade students settled on
the floor in front of me. 150 kids quieting down to listen to stories. I asked
how many had heard me tell stories last year and two thirds of the group raised
their hands. On an impulse I asked, "what stories did I tell you last year?"

Hands went up! "The story about the three brothers and being turned to stone." Yes, The
Queen Bee, a Grimms Fairytale. Another called out, "the story about the mosquitoes."
That's, All Things Are Connected.

Imagine that, they remembered.
They remembered my stories!

The stories have entered a child's memory.

wow!

What a privilege!