Oral Tradition

Have you ever snuggled in for a bedtime story. Or have you ever clapped your hands while singing a happy song. That was me. I am the story your grandma tells you, and I am the song you sing in the car. I don't live on paper or on a bright, shiny screen. I live in warm voices and listening ears. I float in the air like a little whisper, carrying happy thoughts from one person to another. I am a secret and a silly joke. I am Oral Tradition.

Long, long ago, before there were any books to read, I was everywhere. Families would gather close around a big, crackling fire that made their faces glow. The oldest people, the elders, would tell stories about brave heroes and clever animals. They sang songs about the big, round moon and the tiny, twinkling stars. This was how children learned how to be kind and how to share. I was alive and busy for thousands and thousands of years, long before people learned how to write things down. I was also a fun poem or a silly rhyme that helped everyone remember which plants were good to eat and which paths led back home. I was the most important way to remember everything.

Guess what. I am still here with you today. When you sing 'Happy Birthday' and blow out your candles, that's me. When you tell your friend a funny joke that makes them giggle, that's me too. When your family shares a memory that makes everyone smile, I am right there in the room with you. I am a special way to share feelings and connect with the people you love. I am like an invisible, magical thread that ties all of our hearts together, sharing stories and songs forever and ever.