(Transcript)

There are moments in life that settle into the soul. Not with noise or flash, but with a kind of quiet certainty. Moments that whisper, “This is it. You belong here.”

I want to tell you about three such moments in my life. At first, they seemed unrelated. But over time, I’ve come to see them as points on the same map—each one guiding me toward the work I now do with memoir writers like you.

The first came as I was walking out of a mountain village in northern Spain. The morning was shrouded in cloud that had descended over us during the night obscuring everything. I’d been climbing upwards on the road out of the village when I came to a crossroads. Just then, the mist began to clear. I looked up and saw the mountain rising high above me, snow whipping off the summit in silence. Below, the valley opened wide. To my left, a meadow. The clanking of cowbells. No people. Just stillness, beauty, presence. And in that moment, I knew: I was in the right place. There was no need to strive. Just be. Just breathe. I felt awe, and deep, deep gratitude.

And then there was the day in May 2009, when I stood in an olive grove on the West Bank, among a group of Israelis and Palestinians, helping them share stories with one another. It was sacred ground—not because it was conflict-free, but because truth was being spoken. People were choosing to see and be seen. And in the act of sharing their stories and listening, something shifted. Again, I felt it: I am here for this.

The third moment came more recently in a much smaller, quieter room. I was sitting among day patients at a local hospice, where I lead a monthly storytelling session. That day, people were sharing bits of their lives—memories, regrets, belly laughter, quiet tears. And as I listened, I felt it again: that same knowing. This place is where I’m meant to be. Bearing witness. Holding space. Listening as lives come into focus.

Three moments. Three places. Mountain. Olive grove. Hospice.

Very different contexts, but the same thread runs through them all: Presence. Listening. Meaning. Belonging.

Isn’t that what memoir offers us? A chance to trace these golden threads. A way to see our lives not just as a string of events, but as a journey toward clarity, purpose, even peace.

So today, I invite you to think back. When have you felt that quiet knowing—that sense of I am in the right place? Maybe it was in nature. Maybe with a loved one. Maybe in the middle of something difficult. Write about it. Don’t try to make it profound. Just tell the truth.

Because when we write from those moments, we offer something the world desperately needs: rootedness. Connection. And a glimpse of the sacred in the everyday.

Thank you for being here. I’m Michael Williams. And this is Memoir Studio—where we believe that every life has a story, and every story has a sacred place it’s trying to take us.

Michael Williams is the creator and host of the Memoir Studio Podcast. He learned the art of oral storytelling during his thirty years telling stories and coaching others in Scotland. He’s also an accredited End-of-Life Planning Facilitator and certified Guided Autobiography Instructor. You can learn more about Dr. Williams and his services at memoirstudio.ca.

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