"Listening is much more than allowing another to talk while waiting for a chance to respond. Listening is paying full attention to others and welcoming them into our very beings. The beauty of listening is that those who are listened to start feeling accepted, start taking our words more seriously and discovering their true selves."

                                                            - Henri Nouwen

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One might think that the core value of storytelling is an act of sharing and the transmitting of information.  In actuality, storytelling is a rhythm and a process, and at the core of that process is listening.  It is the act of saying that there is room and space for the person across from us to breathe, be joyful, lament or discover who they are.  It is in this participation of giving and receiving, that we recognize value of ourselves and others.