A story about my maternal grandfather always intrigued me and I sometimes wondered if it was true.
My granddad was an only child and apparently he was used to getting what he wanted. His family was wealthy–nice house with servants, lots of property and in those days, plenty of livestock which was considered a plus.
One day I asked my mom what happened to the “family fortune” she was always talking about.
“Well, it’s like this, ” she replied. ” You’re grandfather had one major flaw –he liked to gamble.”
It turns out that he gambled the “family fortune” in one heated and intense card game! In a moment of weakness, he lost everything!
Was this true or did someone just want to justify why they were very poor? Maybe someone just wanted to create a myth about my grandfather to make him a legendary figure in the Rivera family.
Who knows? It just goes to show that we humans have a knack for storytelling.  It’s through these stories that we deliver some sort of message for the generations that follow.  The message here? Well, I’m not sure.  “You should be satisfied with what you have”?  “Never reach for more than you can handle”?  “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”?  What do you think?

My mom was a great storyteller. She always had a tale to tell about a family relative or friend. I sometimes thought that she made them up but they were so unusual that I reached the conclusion that they had to have some truth!

Any unusual tales you’d like to share? Who are the storytellers in your family?