“The Stories We Tell” By Joanna Gaines – A Memoir
“And, it turns out, it’s what had to happen for a chance to see it all bloom again…” -Joanna
In Joanna Gaines’ The Stories We Tell she inspires others to write their own stories as she leads readers through her personal becoming. She focuses readers on the entire journey. The journey being the teacher of the insightful lessons taught in the intriguing experience called life. She explains,
“… if you can hold your story in truth, for all that it is, the good and the bad, not perfect but whole -… that’s the perspective we’re after.”
Joanna’s writing takes readers into what can be portrayed as something like personal journal entries, and allows others to see inside her mind and thought process as she unravels who she is as she has entered her 40s. Each chapter is insightful and builds on the previous chapter.
She explains important decisions she had to make for her family and business, and the leaps of faith she had to take in an attempt to shape the life she is now living. Explaining that she and her husband have always believed themselves to be ordinary people, never aspiring for fame but that it was mere opportunities that turned into their astonishing and wonderful life together- including all their surprises.
There are several moments when Joanna talks about her childhood, and how some of these memories have proved to be powerful life lessons. As she begins to bring her book to a close, she ties important lessons to a focused memory of her childhood. She is rolling and twirling on her roller skates, arms out, and remembers the feelings of joy and freedom.
Presently, she challenges herself to make this cherished past memory a reality within her current life. Attempting to relive again and again a precious space that makes her feel feelings of joy, freedom to be alive and express herself freely, and to have more fun. With her bright green and pink- adult roller skates in hand now, she encourages readers to find their own memory of similar feelings in order to relive the joy they’ve once had too.
“I think also about all the years I’ve spent believing I wasn’t brave enough to be vulnerable. When it came to taking risks and putting myself out there, I let a picture of perfection hold me back. But this posture I’m practicing – head up and arms out – this repetition is pulling me in, closer and closer to the thrill of how it can feel to wear my heart on my sleeve. It’s opening my eyes to what is even more beautiful than sharing something that’s pretty and polished with the world. Instead I’m saying, ‘This is me, completely in progress.’
Inch by inch, I’m rediscovering the girl I used to be – before the world got its hands on me. I’m getting to know parts of myself again, and it’s made me sure there must be more of us out there who could use this same grace. Others who are looking to unearth something that has long been covered up. It might be hard to fathom for some who feel like that version of them is a million miles away… Deeper, I think, down at the soul level we can find these things we think we’ve lost.”
Although Joanna, respectfully, leaves out the details in her writing of the actual challenges she has faced in order to grow into the leader she is today, she still opens her heart to truly teach her readers the emotions and premonitions that come from such experiences.
She compares a physical back injury to rebuilding our lives. Her doctor telling her, “Just rebuild where you can.” Explaining that rebuilding muscles takes time. Joanna followed his advice for her physical health and then applied this to her own rebuilding of life. She continues,“This is how I’m looking at my life now: a rebuild, not an ending.
Read for yourself to find your own life lessons working inside you. You might find that they have existed your entire life.
Joanna’s last line in her soul-stirring book:
“Because I will never not be a work in progress.”
The Stories We Tell is one of many of Joanna’s projects of success. She is also co-founder of Magnolia, Editor and Chief of Magnolia Journal, creator and co-owner of Magnolia Network, and also has a cookbook titled, Magnolia Table Cookbook. Other book titles of Joanna Gaines include: Home Body: A Guide to Creating Spaces, The Magnolia Story, We are the Gardeners, and The World Needs Who You Were Made to Be.
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I really-really enjoyed Joanna’s book. I am a personal fan of hers and have been for years. I’ve watched all her “Fixer Upper” episodes and I love her cookbook, which made me love The Stories We Tell even more.
However, I think I would have still liked her memoir had I not “known” her before. My daughter actually found it when we were Mother’s Day shopping for my own mom, and I bought it with the idea of using it as a gift. But once I started reading the first few pages I decided to keep it for myself because I wanted to know more. There were many parts of her book that spoke and resonated with me, I’ve mentioned a few above. I think that within different phases of life, different things resonate with us. This quote really spoke to me in my season…
“Maybe you, like me, have only ever known one way of thinking. Or a certain way of seeing yourself. Maybe it’s all you’ve ever been taught, or it’s all you’ve ever learned, and it feels comfortable, safe – it makes sense. But maybe there’s a chance that at some point along the way, you bumped up against one of those long-held beliefs and you wondered, if even for a second, But does it really make sense? Might you actually live more freely without it? A moment that got you thinking, maybe there’s more than one way. While I’m an advocate for owning the whole story of your life, I don’t believe that means every chapter is worthy of carrying forward- not if it’s holding you back. Not if it’s the reason you won’t ever hold empathy and understanding in its place, or ever allow the pieces of your own brokenness to be stitched back together in ways that bring healing.”