“Everything happens for a reason.” I’ve never believed in that saying. Some things that happen to us are cruel and senseless, and no amount of reflection will ever justify them. But through the process of working with personal stories – my own and those shared by others – I’ve found myself shifting toward a new perspective: everything happens for a story. And maybe even more than that: everything happens for a story that can benefit others.
In class, we’ve heard lighthearted stories, sad stories, scary stories. Stories spanning the entire emotional spectrum. I’ve listened to classmates describe the strength it took to stay hopeful after receiving a chronic illness diagnosis. I’ve “been there” in the exact moment of a classmate’s story when they got wrongfully arrested but yet they refused to let it break their spirit. I’ve connected deeply with someone’s grief when they shared about losing a loved one unfairly. And I’ve laughed at silly pranks played on unsuspecting grandparents and was reminded of the naivety and innocence we share as children. Every one of these stories carries threads of resilience, humor, strength, and – most powerfully – our shared human experience. They remind me that we are never truly alone in what we feel or endure.
Stories of love, heartbreak, joy, and pain fill our classroom, and there’s always at least one listener for whom the story becomes medicine in that moment. A story can uplift, inspire, give hope, or shift someone’s perspective entirely. Watching this happen has made me feel that we are all, in our own ways, models for one another.
While I still don’t believe that everything in life happens for a reason, I’m beginning to see that everything we experience holds the potential to be of value to someone else. If our stories can help connect us, heal us, or help us see ourselves in one another, then maybe that is reason enough.
(The image at the top of the post is from an article in The Yale Herald.)
Manu Moeller was born and raised in Germany and moved to America as a young adult. She serves as Senior Director of People and Culture for a nationwide nonprofit that protects and advances the health rights of low-income and underserved communities.
Outside of work, Manu is a storyteller, hobby actor, and improvisor. She also volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona and is a proud Big. She also enjoys spending time with her cat – an ever-present companion, frequent test audience, and reliably unimpressed critic. You can find her as @myfavoritemanu on Instagram and she is also on Facebook.
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