The Kindness of Sharing Stories

"Anytime you share life stories with other people, you know, you are acknowledging their humanity and kind of accessing some things about yourself, and other people start to expect things about themselves.  It's kind of like a fellowship."
~ Jill Scott

On a recent trip, I found myself asking people I met (a driver, a passenger on the plane) about themselves and hearing their stories.  I was fascinated with what they shared both because I am naturally a curious person and also because it helped me to better understand the reality of their country.  It is wonderful to share stories with friends as those interactions serve as additional ties to each other, but it is also nice to share stories with people we encounter along our life journey.  Those somewhat random instances represent connection and a recognition of our shared humanity.