None of the following quotations are mine. They were all written by Isabel Allende. I read one online and wanted to find out who wrote it. She was born in Peru but is considered a Chilean writer as she was raised in Chile, and she spent much of her time there before becoming a citizen of the United States about twenty years ago.
I know nothing of her other than a few things I’ve read. I relate to some of what she has to say.
You are the storyteller of your own life, and you can create your own legend, or not.
I don’t think Isabel is talking about writing, but rather, living. We get to choose our own path, and the challenge is choosing wisely. Ruth was a big proponent of choice. She told our three children “we all have choices”. I don’t think they liked hearing it every day, but they appreciate it now and know it’s true
Some choices are easy to make and others more challenging. For me, asking Ruth to marry me was my most important choice. Our atypical union helped determine who each of us became and the family we shared.
Write what should not be forgotten.
I’m writing about things that I hope my grandchildren read and share with their children someday. I want all of them to learn about those who came before them. I remember talking with my Grandpa Tebo and he was born in 1875. That’s almost a hundred and fifty years ago. I don’t remember many of our conversations, but my dad shared stories about him that I recall. I’ve been able to write about several.
People are truly gone when we stop sharing their story. That’s why memoirs are important. It helps one generation connect with another, and before you know it, you have multigenerational tales that continue to be handed down.
True friendship resists time, distance and silence
I still have friends that I’ve known for decades. We don’t speak every day, in fact, I hadn’t spoken to some for dozens of years; but when we did reconnect, it was like time had stood still. Relationships like that are invaluable. If you’re not sure if you have true friends in your life, you don’t, and you’re missing a wonderful opportunity.
I’m not as wise as Isabel, and I don’t have her literary talent. I’m simply sharing her thoughts and offering my interpretation. I’m happy to have the opportunity.
With regards to her comment about friends; Harry Chapin, the singer and song writer that was famous for “Cat’s in a Cradle” wrote this line in one of his songs. “Old friends mean so much more to me than new friends. They see where you are and they know where you’ve been.” I find that to be very true. At my high school 50th reunion, I met a woman that I had been in school with from kindergarten through high school. I had not seen her since we were graduated together fifty years earlier. We started talking like we had seen each other every day for years.