Your Stories Are Gold: Don’t Leave Them Unsaid

In a world of screens, give them a story with a heartbeat and wonder.

This stat from Pew Research blew my mind!

46% of teens report their parents are distracted on their phones when they try to talk to them. Over 75% of parents use devices during family meals, while 68% of kids use tablets & phones, clocking over 21 weekly screen hours, frequently competing with verbal family communication and parent-child connection.

We can’t turn back the clock to a pre-digital world, but we can draw wisdom from the past as we move forward. Our presence and our stories are gold—let’s step out of the noise and speak love, truth, and encouragment into the the lives around us.

My Grandma and her sister, my Great-Aunt Faye, were captivating storytellers—so much fun to be around! The tales I treasured most were the ones wrapped in the memory of their childhood.

They belonged to a beautiful, close-knit era, sharing vibrant stories of a family overflowing with love, hard times and hard work, and the wonderful chaos of growing up with 15 siblings on a little farm just outside of town in the early 1900s. 

Their stories painted a vivid picture of a simpler time. I especially loved when they’d tell Bible Stories to us. They’d literally bring the characters to life, so much so that I thought they must have been alive back in Bible days!

It wasn't just the stories—it was the profound, tangible love that radiated between them. That love was the invisible thread drawing me in and giving me a sweet contentment just to be with them.

I can still remember sitting near her garden area and Aunt Faye would drag out her accordion and we’d belt out beloved hymns, singing to the flowers and the sky and to the One who made it all. One of my favorites was “I Love To Tell the Story.”

“I love to tell the story of unseen things above,

of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love...”

Did you know our Creator designed our brains hard-wired for stories? Stories actually light up the sensory, emotional, and cognitive areas in our brains?! Maybe that’s why Jesus spoke in simple stories to win our hearts. When we share our authentic journeys, we’re following the ultimate Storyteller.

We’re all called to be storytellers! If we aren’t actively telling our “life story”, “family story” and our “God Stories” to the next generations, then who or what is narrating “life” to our children and grandchildren???

Legacy is born and built when we share authentic stories. When we love something deeply, we can’t help but talk about it. That leaves me asking myself: What am I talking about most? Is it just world news and trending shows? Of course, it’s fine to talk about life and everyday news, but I want to make sure I’m also sharing things worth saying—stories that build up others and outlast me.

Sometimes I wish everyone could go back and have the uncluttered, minimal entertainment world I grew up in. But wishing doesn’t help anything. We have to find a way forward in this present culture.

Let’s be honest: we’re competing against a flashy, fast-paced media culture purposely designed to hook our children’s brains with constant dopamine hits. How can “everyday” life compete with Hollywood's multi-million-dollar special effects?

By offering the one thing a screen can never replicate: true belonging. A device provides entertainment, but it can’t look a child in the eye and tell them who they are.

We can.

Passing down a legacy that outlasts the digital noise.

But stories alone aren't enough. If they are just a recitation of facts or old dates, our grandkids will still glaze over. For a story to truly break through the digital fog, it must be wrapped in a tangible sense of love, belonging, and shared heritage.

When we share our lives, we must also encourage them to tell us their stories back. True connection’s like a game of ping-pong—the longer you can keep the volley going, the better. Valuing their voices alongside our own, proves to them that connecting in the real world is more captivating than any virtual world.

Learn to tell stories to your children and children’s children! Weave those stories into birthdays or graduations or milestones along the way. No one but you can tell your adult children their childhood stories and the wonderful perspective of watching them grow up.  You’re building a lasting legacy.

And don’t forget to weave in the golden thread of the Story of Stories; of Jesus and His love. Build your spiritual legacy in your family and beyond. There’s a whole generation—lonely, disconnected, and glued to screens—that is starving for the authentic wisdom and grounding of a spiritual parent or grandparent.

The power of presence, sharing stories, and listening deeply is a powerful bridge across generations. This is how we turn fleeting moments into a lasting legacy.

Who comes to mind right now? Step out of the digital noise today and give someone the gift of your presence, your story, and an open heart to listen to theirs.

Connecting Generations & Creating Legacy one story at a time- Cindy