Influence & Inspiration

Stories live in your blood and bones, follow the seasons and light candles on the darkest night-every storyteller knows she or he is also a teacher... —Patti Davis

Papa sat on one of the beds in the room while the three boys listened with rapt attention to his storytelling. He was weaving an exciting tale of Kingdom Eromlig and its three brave knights: Aaron the Great, Adrian the Swift and Terence the Smart. He had come to the part where they were going out to choose their noble steeds. “Mine is black, right?” piped up Adrian from is spot on the bottom bunk, “with wings!” “And mine is white!” Aaron practically shouted from under his covers. “What color is mine, dad?” asked Terence as he leaned over the top bunk rail. “Yours is brown like chocolate!” said Papa. The three pairs of eyes sparkled as he continued the story: “The three Knights mounted their noble steeds and galloped out of the castle and across the drawbridge to rescue Princess Deanna from the Dragon! The King watched them go from the ramparts because he had to stay behind and protect Queen Sheila and baby Mikayla in case the Dragon came back. But just before they got across the drawbridge the King shouted: ‘Be brave! Be wise! And, Adrian: don’t climb any trees!!’” At that, the whole room dissolved into laughter.

Stories were a big part of our children’s younger years. Ralph began telling the tales of Kingdom Eromlig (Gilmore backwards) before bedtimes when they were just 3 and 6. Papa wanted to inspire them to become Knightly and chivalrous; to become all that God had for them. That was part of the reason for the names: Aaron the Great, Adrian the Swift and Terence the Smart. Ralph wanted to motivate them to become those things, look at life as an adventure, and appreciate all the hilarity in every day. Thus his stories were always peppered with farting, mud fights and allusions to the “throne room”. Well, what could I expect from a room full of boys?

Sometimes, if there were fights amongst the boys, the story at the end of the day would be about how the Knights dealt with their disagreements and how they resolved things. Other times, Ralph would encourage the boys to make up their own adventure – tell where he went or what he did – and Papa would finish the tale with lots of funny stuff thrown in. The Rescue of the Princess, the Search for the Golden Ring and The Friendly Dragon became stories that were told and retold many times by Papa or the boys.

At one point, we even got them some costumes with plastic helmets, swords, shields and breastplates. They would go out into the front yard and have a “battle”, calling out their “moves” like one would call out the plays in a football game. I realized early on that we would never have new furniture or coffee tables in the living room. Nothing was safe when the swords came out and the “fighting” began.

Because Ralph was in the Navy at the time, he didn’t get to spend much time with the boys and bedtime stories were precious. These were the moments when Papa spent “real” time with the kids; when they could be a part of his life and he theirs.

When the girls came along, they wanted “their” story. So Papa came up with the Adventures of DeeDee, MeeMee and LeeLee – three little squirrels that lived in a tree in the middle of a public park. They would have adventures with Timmy Turtle, Tom the Turkey, Mama Squirrel and Mr. Owl, who only said “WhOOO”. They still remember the adventures: MeeMee and the Donut, The Turkey for Dinner, The Swimming Fountain, and many others. They still ask Papa to tell a story every now and then, and they are 14, 16 and 18 now.

I knew that stories have an impact on our lives and I knew that stories are a good way to teach lessons about morality. Just look at how Jesus taught his disciples. There are no “How To” books that can take the place of a really good story. But, it was only recently that I found out what an impact Papa’s stories had had on our boys.

This past Father’s Day, Ralph got a card in the mail from Aaron, our oldest and now 25. It was the first Father’s Day card Papa had ever received that wasn’t prompted by Mom’s or someone’s reminder. In it was a sweet letter from his son telling him how glad he was that Papa had been his father and that his stories had made a real impact on his life: “Your stories of Knights and honor and the passion that you evoked upon telling each of your impromptu scenes when we were kids have made a direct impact on who I’ve become. Besides that, your childlike heart to be more than a provider made you more than a Father. When I talk to Father God, I have fun with Him and dance in His presence.”

I never realized that the storytelling that Papa did helped shape who God became in the eyes of his sons. No father can be perfect and there were many ways in which Ralph was not the best father; but in this he was great! It’s not just the story but the storyteller himself who became a model.

It gives me shivers of pleasure knowing that when my children have children of their own, they will tell stories of chivalry and honor just as Papa did. And I know that Papa will probably make up some more stories so that each of his grandchildren can have “theirs”. I can’t wait to see what he will come up with next…maybe this time I can write some of them down.

The destiny of the world is determined less by the battles that are lost and won than by the stories it loves and believes in. —Harold Goddard

And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou LORD art among this people, that thou LORD art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night. Num 14:14 (From the Greatest Story: The Bible)