This is December’s bonus episode of Short Stories of Hope. In this month’s story, Aaron shares the quiet and powerful tale of the Wind Phone in Ochi, Japan, and the man who placed a silent rotary phone on a hillside for anyone carrying words they never had the chance to say. It is a story about grief, healing, and the small human acts that help us keep moving toward hope.

Created, Performed & Produced by ⁠Aaron Calafato⁠

*⁠Learn more about the person embodying this month's Short Story of Hope⁠

In this special holiday episode, Aaron breaks down the surprising origin of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” a song that was almost far too bleak for the movie it was written for. He explores how Judy Garland rejected the original lyrics, why Hugh Martin rewrote them, and how the shift turned the tune into one of the most emotional Christmas standards of all time. Aaron also compares the Garland and Sinatra versions, highlighting the lyric changes that shaped each performance. This short deep dive blends music history and storytelling to remind listeners what the holidays mean when life is heavy, hopeful, and real.

*Here's your lyric guide!

📱Try not to doom scroll, but if you do, at least scroll through Aaron’s micro shorts called ⁠7MS Haikus⁠.

📻 If you like 7MS, make sure you follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Night Stories LIVE! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠— Aaron’s late-night storytelling show where he shares new stories and talks with special guests in real time. Streamed Thursday at 9:30PM EST on YouTube. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

📬 Join the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 7 Minute Stories Newsletter!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ It only goes out 4–6 times a year — short, sweet, and packed with value. Get exclusive bonus content, behind-the-scenes stories, and invites to special remote events, delivered straight to your inbox.

Story created & performed by: Aaron Calafato

Senior Audio Engineer:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ken Wendt ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Additional vocals: Cori Calafato

Artist in Residence: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pete Whitehead ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Original Theme Music: thomas j. duke

Additional Soundscape Design:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Isaac Gehring & Story Sounds Media LLC ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Special Thanks:

Rob Montague Jr

Kyle McCarthy

Dania Khalife

*Songwriters: Irving Berlin / Jule Styne / Sammy Cahn / Ralph Blane / Hugh Martin / Richard B. Smith / Felix Bernard

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas lyrics © Berlin Irving Music Corp., Emi Feist Catalog Inc.

In this 7 Minute Story, Aaron (inspired by the NOVA Humans docuseries from PBS) discovers an unexpected kinship with his Neanderthal ancestors — not as cartoon cavemen, but as real people whose lives shaped our own. Through humor, identity, and deep-time storytelling, he explores what survives, what disappears, and why a tiny percentage of ancient DNA still carries meaning today. A funny and surprisingly emotional journey into who we are, who we come from and 'who' is still a part of us!

📱Try not to doom scroll, but if you do, at least scroll through Aaron’s micro shorts called ⁠7MS Haikus⁠.

📻 If you like 7MS, make sure you follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Night Stories LIVE! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠— Aaron’s late-night storytelling show where he shares new stories and talks with special guests in real time. Streamed Thursday at 9:30PM EST on YouTube. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

📬 Join the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 7 Minute Stories Newsletter!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ It only goes out 4–6 times a year — short, sweet, and packed with value. Get exclusive bonus content, behind-the-scenes stories, and invites to special remote events, delivered straight to your inbox.

Story created & performed by: Aaron Calafato

Senior Audio Engineer:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ken Wendt ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Additional vocals: Cori Calafato

Artist in Residence: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pete Whitehead ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Original Theme Music: thomas j. duke

Additional Soundscape Design:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Isaac Gehring & Story Sounds Media LLC ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Special Thanks:

Rob Montague Jr

Kyle McCarthy

Dania Khalife

Aaron tells the story of the day he tried—truly tried—to run away at age five, fueled by righteous anger over a forbidden episode of GI Joe and a backpack full of peanut-butter crackers. What begins as a funny childhood rebellion slowly reveals a deeper truth about grief, confusion, and a kid trying to make sense of a family unraveling. This is a story about the moment you realize running away isn’t the answer—and why coming home matters more than you knew.

📻 If you like 7MS, make sure you follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠Night Stories LIVE! ⁠⁠⁠⁠— Aaron’s late-night storytelling show where he shares new stories and talks with special guests in real time. Streamed Thursday at 9:30PM EST on YouTube. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

📬 Join the⁠⁠⁠⁠ 7 Minute Stories Newsletter!⁠⁠⁠⁠ It only goes out 4–6 times a year — short, sweet, and packed with value. Get exclusive bonus content, behind-the-scenes stories, and invites to special remote events, delivered straight to your inbox.

Story created & performed by: Aaron Calafato

Senior Audio Engineer:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ken Wendt ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Additional vocals: Cori Calafato

Artist in Residence: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pete Whitehead ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Original Theme Music: thomas j. duke

Additional Soundscape Design:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Isaac Gehring & Story Sounds Media LLC ⁠⁠⁠⁠

Special Thanks:

Rob Montague Jr

Kyle McCarthy

Dania Khalife

Brett Anderson, formerly the lead singer of the groundbreaking band The Donnas, sits down with Aaron for a deeply personal conversation about aging, identity, and the power of reinvention. Now following a new path in the world of Gerontology, Brett shares how her journey through music, personal grief, palliative care, and end-of-life work reshaped her understanding of longevity and mental health. This bonus episode of 7MS Presents: The Storytelling University episode explores the branching paths of a human life and why no single narrative can ever define what it means to grow older.

The Storytelling University is part of the 7 Minute Stories Universe

Created & Produced by Aaron Calafato & Brooks Borden

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This week, 7 Minute Stories transforms into a courtroom drama—well, sort of. In this courtroom-style story, Aaron Calafato takes on the role of defense attorney, arguing not against cynicism but for hope. As the prosecution condemns Hallmark movies as “brain rot,” Aaron makes a case for why these small-town stories, full of clichés and Christmas lights, might be exactly what our overstimulated culture needs. A clever, heartfelt reflection on repetition, ritual, and why the simplest stories can still teach us the most about being human.

📻 If you like 7MS, make sure you follow ⁠⁠⁠Night Stories LIVE! ⁠⁠⁠— Aaron’s late-night storytelling show where he shares new stories and talks with special guests in real time. Streamed on its⁠⁠⁠⁠ new YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠, these nostalgic, radio-style sessions go live every Thursday at 9:30PM EST and roll deep into the night.

Story created & performed by: Aaron Calafato

Senior Audio Engineer:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ken Wendt ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Additional vocals: Cori Calafato

Artist in Residence: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pete Whitehead ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Original Theme Music: thomas j. duke

Additional Soundscape Design:⁠⁠ ⁠Isaac Gehring & Story Sounds Media LLC ⁠⁠⁠

Special Thanks:

Rob Montague Jr

Kyle McCarthy

Dania Khalife

*Additional sounds on cleared list and used with paid license via artlist.io

The first-ever Super Kmart in America once stood in Aaron’s hometown of Medina, Ohio—a place where he grew up under blue light specials and late-night wanderings with friends. Years after the store shut down, seagulls claimed the empty parking lot, and his daughter renamed it the “Seagull Zoo.” Now that the building has been torn down and replaced by Meijer, Aaron is left wondering—stores may change, but do the memories, and the moments we share in them, ever really fade?

📻 If you like 7MS, make sure you follow ⁠⁠Night Stories LIVE! ⁠⁠— Aaron’s late-night storytelling show where he shares new stories and talks with special guests in real time. Streamed on its⁠⁠⁠ new YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠, these nostalgic, radio-style sessions go live every Thursday at 9:30PM EST and roll deep into the night.

Story created & performed by: Aaron Calafato

Senior Audio Engineer:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ken Wendt ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Additional vocals: Cori Calafato

Artist in Residence: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pete Whitehead ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Original Theme Music: thomas j. duke

Additional Soundscape Design:⁠⁠ Isaac Gehring & Story Sounds Media LLC ⁠⁠

Special Thanks:

Rob Montague Jr

Kyle McCarthy

Dania Khalife

*Additional sounds on cleared list and used with paid license via artlist.io

In this debut Short Stories of Hope bonus episode, Aaron shares the true story of a young boy who was told he’d never walk again. What follows is a moving journey of determination, faith, and the resilience of the human spirit. By the end, you’ll discover who this person was—and how one child’s courage turned shattered records all the way to the Olympics.

Created & Performed by Aaron Calafato

Edited by Rob Montague

*Learn more about the person embodying this month's Short Story of Hope

In this Halloween episode of 7 Minute Stories, Aaron shares a true story about getting lost deep in the woods with no phone, no compass, and a rising sense of panic. What begins as a peaceful evening walk turns into a confrontation with fear itself—and a rediscovery of the real meaning behind Halloween. By the end, you’ll see how an ancient story about courage and transformation helped him find his way back home.

📻 If you like 7MS, make sure you follow ⁠⁠Night Stories LIVE! ⁠⁠— Aaron’s late-night storytelling show where he shares new stories and talks with special guests in real time. Streamed on its⁠⁠⁠ new YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠, these nostalgic, radio-style sessions go live every Thursday at 9:30PM EST and roll deep into the night.

The Team:

Story created & performed by: Aaron Calafato

Senior Audio Engineer:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ken Wendt ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Additional vocals: Cori Calafato

Artist in Residence: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pete Whitehead ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Original Theme Music: thomas j. duke

Additional Soundscape Design:⁠⁠ Isaac Gehring ⁠⁠

Special Thanks:

Rob Montague Jr

Kyle McCarthy

Dania Khalife

*Additional sounds on cleared list and used with paid license via artlist.io

In this week's 7 Minute Story, Aaron’s night starts simple, dinner with the family and a quick trip for Advil before his son’s band concert. But what unfolds is a comedy of errors that turns a small headache into a full-blown odyssey. By the end, the story takes a turn that proves even the most frustrating nights can carry an unexpected lesson.

The Team:

Story created & performed by: Aaron Calafato

Senior Audio Engineer:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ken Wendt ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Additional vocals: Cori Calafato

Artist in Residence: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pete Whitehead ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Original Theme Music: thomas j. duke

Additional Soundscape Design:⁠ Isaac Gehring ⁠

Special Thanks:

Rob Montague Jr

Kyle McCarthy

Dania Khalife

*Additional sounds on cleared list and used with paid license via artlist.io