The tellers Season 15 audiences sent to ALLSTARS were definitely elite! The theme was “Once in a Lifetime” and nearly all the stories dealt with the brave and creative ways we accept what life brings to us.

Paul Race’s mother had Alzheimer’s. He invited her to his daughter’s kindergarten recital. He was a bit alarmed when she said yes! She was having problems with gas and incontinence. She wanted to watch her granddaughter from the front row, and the logistics of the room didn’t favor an easy exit.

Right before the performance, she needed to use the bathroom. Paul offered to walk her there, but she turned him down. She stood up, stepped down and FARTED. His mother had delivered an epic explosion. Everyone reeled, but the show had to go on. By the time his mother got back to her seat, Paul’s daughter had performed.

Paul had an epiphany. If you build up expectations…if things HAVE to go a certain way, you’re setting yourself up for misery. Accept what comes and move on.

Your will and ability to accept can be sorely challenged! Jayne Rogers loves visiting New York and loved her husband, so she planned a dream trip there to celebrate his birthday. Perfect hotel, theater tickets, reservations for dinner …talk about expectations. Only one problem. He left her before the trip!

Jayne didn’t cancel. Maybe it was extreme denial, but her first night there she felt deeply at one with the universe. She walked, went to her favorite oyster bar…then woke up the next morning engulfed in sadness as she found herself alone. Once again, she got a grip. Walked and window-shopped and bought a fresh mango from a street vendor. In her hotel suite, she filled the giant clawfoot bathtub and soaked. When she pulled the plug after her healing bath, she visualized all the pain, anger and fear draining away with the water.

Travel and loss! That was Tiffany Miller’s theme too. Tiffany lost her beloved mother in 2019, but mother love and guidance from beyond remains a force in her daily life. Her mother guides her decisions, always nudging Tiffany to “places of joy”. 

Puerto Rico is one of Tiffany’s absolute favorite places. But as she planned another trip there, arrangements weren’t falling into place. Tiffany considered the last trip her mother took – Paris. Tiffany knew it had to be. She’d spend her 45th birthday in Paris, completing her mother’s bucket list.

Wayne Hickson didn’t have such a smooth relationship with his late father. He felt one-upped and unheard when he shared his frustrations and experiences as a Black man with his dad.  Dad’s challenges were always tougher, his era more hostile. Nonetheless, Wayne was willing to help when dad – 83 and not tech-savvy – called him from Virginia asking for help with the computer tablet some salesman in front of Walmart talked him into. Wayne even let him use his email address to complete the setup…

Not long after, Wayne went to Virginia to help his mother Carolyn through her series of cancer treatments, taking her to all her appointments. He returned to Milwaukee. The day after that, his father passed.

Cleaning out his father’s place with his brother was one of the hardest, most depressing things Wayne’s been through. They had to consider what to do with two “antique” guns, a lot of Viagra (we’d better take it…keep it out of the water supply…) and “Just for Men” hair dye. Wayne was glad his brother was outside when he found the tablet and logged on. The porn he discovered almost blinded him!

Carolyn Womack (who happens to be Wayne’s mother) took the stage to describe one thing she cannot and will not make peace with – harming animals. She is an unconditional animal lover. Birds, mammals, frogs, turtles, fish…she’s had pets of many species. She was driving on a route near home where geese often cross at a certain hour. One day, to her horror, a car in front ran over several of the babies being led across by their mother.

Carolyn watched and listened as the frantic mother goose let loose with a scream of anguish that sounded nearly human. As the mother screamed, she returned to the road trying to rouse her babies; and also fixed the father – who’d brought up the rear – with a look of disbelief…anger? How could you let this happen? Carolyn felt she saw tears escape from his eyes. Then, to her amazement, the mother summoned the babies who’d made it across to return and say goodbye to the dead ones.

Losses aren’t the only things we need to accept. Dennis Oulahan talked about learning to accept gifts. When he and his wife taught at a dual-language school in Veracruz, Mexico in the early 1980’s, Teacher’s Day was an institution. At that time and place rather than being scorned, blamed and second-guessed, teachers were respected and the day to honor them was special.

Dennis taught his morning class. After recess, his second class came with presents. Later, one of his third-grade students found Dennis and told him he felt bad about not bringing a present. Dennis reassured him. He told the boy that his good qualities in class – manners, attention to his studies and consideration for classmates were gifts enough.

The next day, this student handed him a Matchbox model car. A bright yellow ‘71 Corvette, to be specific…Dennis took it but accepting the child’s toy didn’t sit right with him. He went to his student’s house the next day and explained it all to his mother. She excused herself for a moment and came back with a shoebox full of Matchbox cars.

She told Dennis that when her son got home each day, the first thing he did was play with his car collection. She explained that the yellow Corvette was his favorite and that’s why he chose it for Dennis. Dennis learned to accept the prized car in the spirit it was given to him. That was 1981 and he still carries the yellow Corvette as a symbol of responsibility and honor.