7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron Calafato

• The Glowworm That Saved Christmas

  It’s Christmas Eve, 1987, and a 4-year-old Aaron suddenly realizes he has nothing to give. No money, no store to run to, and a desperate need to feel part of the Christmas magic. What follows involves a Glow Worm toy, a stash of odd “treasures,” and two parents who choose wonder over reality. This is the story of how a child’s small act of giving kept the magic alive and saved Christmas in the most unexpected way.

  --------  

  9:27

  --------

  9:27
• The Wind Phone Story: A Reflection on Loss, Healing, and the Voices We Carry | Short Stories of Hope

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

  --------  

  4:58

  --------

  4:58
• The Real Story Behind “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”

  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. 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 & Story Sounds Media LLC ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Special Thanks: Shannon Baker 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.

  --------  

  6:45

  --------

  6:45
• A Love Letter to My Neanderthal Family

  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. 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 & Story Sounds Media LLC ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Special Thanks: Shannon Baker Rob Montague Jr Kyle McCarthy Dania Khalife

  --------  

  8:54

  --------

  8:54
• The GI Joe Incident: Why I Thought I Ran Away… and the Truth I Didn’t See

  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. 📱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. 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 & Story Sounds Media LLC ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Special Thanks: Shannon Baker Rob Montague Jr Kyle McCarthy Dania Khalife

  --------  

  8:56

  --------

  8:56

More Arts podcasts

Trending Arts podcasts

About 7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron Calafato