Those words have always excited me.  It means a story is coming and I really like stories. I remember when I was young I used to ask my grandfather to tell me stories “about the olden days”.  It didn’t matter whether they were made up or the retelling of some time in his childhood, I would listen with rapt attention even if I had heard them 100 times.

My children are like that.  We sit around the table after supper and without fail, someone will say, “tell that story about…”.  Usually they have heard it 100 times as well, but it never fails to amuse and incite lots of laughter.  Especially the one about the time my husband didn’t tighten the bolts around the front tire of his bicycle before jumping off a ramp…but I’ll leave that for another time.

As a human race we are a narrative people.  History has been passed down over the centuries through the telling and retelling of a story, a memory, a myth. Each telling adds a little here, leaves out a little there, depending on the time, audience, or environment.  A good story is like a treasured recipe.  It’s always basically the same with the ingredients shifted a little to create the flavor we want that day.

With a book now on shelves and my name on the cover, the writing bug has bitten deeply. I hope to use this space to share stories that season our lives.  You are welcome and invited to complete the phrase: “Once upon a time…” in any way you see fit; here and in your life.  It is, after all, your life; your story.  What will come after “Once upon a time…”?