Holding to Stories From Survivors

I like to read writing of substance; often the thicker the book, the better for me. Even so, I’ve discovered that not all worthwhile stories are in books heavy enough to be used as anchor weights in a storm. Regardless of my usual preferences, good stories aren’t necessarily literary or lengthy.

I find that survival stories can be powerful. I’m not talking about today’s real-life TV kind of survival stories. I’m talking about stories that people tell as they reflect on difficult times that could have broken them, such as these few examples:

-Many voices (holocaust survivors)

-Stories from Hiroshima, survivors memories collected and told by John Hersey 

-Dave Pelzer (child abuse survivor) 

-Kien Nguyen (son of an American soldier and a Vietnamese woman, unwanted in South Vietnam) 

-Lost Boys of Sudan (genocide survivors)

All of the above folks lived through times much harsher than any life I’ve experienced or want to experience. While it brings me no comfort to know that others have faced unfathomable and almost unspeakable events, I find wisdom and strength and hope in their stories. They are experts in letting go, holding on, and carrying on with life.

I’ve discovered survivors all over the place. They walk amongst you and me every day. Few of them write their stories; they just live their lives day by day. Survivors often have a quiet strength borne through suffering. Simple and humble, they can be . . . and worthy of being heard. I suggest we listen to the survivors amongst us, honor their experiences, learn from them, and use their stories to help make the world a better place.

What survival stories have you found especially remarkable?

Are you a survivor of times that you know could easily have consumed all that you are? Might your story be able to light the way for someone else in this big and challenging world? Tell someone who needs to hear, and let the hard road you’ve walked through help another along the way.

This blog post is part of a series of writing (May 31-June 2012) by Tammy Fletcher Bergland about holding on and letting go.   tbergland.blogspot.com