StoryCorps, the national oral history nonprofit I started 8 years ago, was born from the belief that our stories -- the stories of everyday people -- are more powerful and interesting than the lives of celebrities that clog up our airwaves every day. That we'll find poetry, grace, and wisdom in the stories we find all around us when we take the time to listen. That listening to another persons' story reminds them they matter and won't be forgotten.
When Kay Wang arrived at our Manhattan recording booth, her son, Cheng, and granddaughter, Chen, had clearly dragged her there. While she was impatient and seemed mystified as to why anyone would want to hear her life story, during the 40-minute session a portrait of a remarkable woman emerged.
Chen and Cheng brought Kay to StoryCorps because they knew she was very ill and wanted to capture her life and stories for future generations. A few weeks later, Kay passed away. The sound of her voice recorded on the CD during the interview has since become a family treasure -- an intimate connection to the mom and grandmother they so loved.
Kay's story is featured in our newest animated short, "No More Questions!" We're releasing this animation in time for Mother's Day as well as the re-release of Mom: A Celebration of Mothers from StoryCorps (all proceeds from the book go to furthering our efforts at StoryCorps). I hope you'll watch Kay's story with your family and share it with friends and loved ones. More than that, I hope you'll take inspiration from the Wang family and sit down and honor the moms in your life by listening to their stories. You can learn more about our work at StoryCorps and how and what to ask loved ones during an interview here. Thanks for listening!
http://littlebiggy.org/biggyAwards
We all have so much to offer, so much to learn from listening.