The therapeutic power of mundane stories

“People think that stories are shaped by people. It’s the other way around.”

Terry Pratchett

There is something immensely serene about people watching, silently observing random strangers go about their day and imagining their life stories by their body language. It brings a sense of realization that we are all just the same- made up of flesh and bones, a heart that yearns for joy and a soul that seeks to belong.

We seldom deliver the compassion that we so often hope to receive as it requires making a conscious effort to get out of the zone that inhibits our empathy. Ordinary people that we meet have some of the most incredible stories to share. Ask them about their lives- childhood, career, marriage, health or family. You will encounter real-life phoenixes that have risen from ashes and fixed their hearts piece by piece, becoming a better version of themselves.

Their reformation is similar to Kintsugi, the Japanese art that involves fixing the broken pottery using gold, recreating each piece even more unique and precious than its original form. There are so many untold and unheard stories of the brave hearts that broke the ghoulish shackles of circumstances and chose to resurrect despite being subjected to humiliation, emotional havocs and physical blows.

Heartbreak gives some of the hardest lessons- To lose a child, a parent or both, to witness a loved one struggle for life against an ailment and worse, to find relief when that pain ends with their life. When the soul ripping grief drowns you with force so horrendous that you gasp for air, it often acts as a catalyst in the metamorphosis of your perception towards life and people.

Morbid experiences shake us and wake us up from the slumber of nonchalance. Tragedy tears apart our soul but juxtaposes itself to correct our vision and view the world through the lens of compassion. It makes us understand the concept of misery and feel emotions we didn’t realize existed in the first place. Once struck with grief, we begin to resonate with raw emotions, human suffering and see things around us differently.

Real-life stories let us peek through the lives of ordinary people, allowing us to imbibe their glee as well as agony. When the sentiments of any of these stories hit home, it induces a sense of community which can sometimes act as the last straw for someone grappling through tough times.

To be understood is beyond gratifying. A tribe that understands our fears and apprehensions because they suffered from similar ordeals acts like a soothing balm to our wounds. Anecdotes can’t take away the pain or fix our heart, but they often fill us with gratitude and hope that someone else went through this emotional turmoil and survived, that we are not alone in this. A tiny tale holds a magnificent potential to transform our lives. All we got to do is to time and again move out of our cosy shell of indifference and see people as they are, as humans made of flesh and blood, a heart that yearns for joy and a soul that seeks to belong.