Holiday Retirement Helps Nation's Grandparents Fight to Save the Bedtime Story

LAKE OSWEGO, OR--(Marketwired - Nov 23, 2015) - Every day, thousands of childhood bedtime stories are lost as another generation of storytellers (and their families) do not take the time to capture them. In an effort to save these cherished bedtime tales, Holiday Retirement, a manager of senior living communities nationwide, initiated a "story drive" earlier this year to begin collecting stories. Today, Holiday Retirement published a select few of the collected stories in a new children's book, Bedtime Stories: Original Tales Shared from One Generation to the Next.

"We all have extraordinary memories of our parents and grandparents tucking us into bed with heartwarming stories and lessons that inspired us to dream," said Jamison Gosselin, vice president of marketing, communications, and resident enrichment for Holiday Retirement. "It is an honor for us to collect bedtime stories from residents we serve and publish a few to share with the public. What's more, a few of our residents created artwork to accompany the stories allowing us to produce an amazing book for the generations to share."

The act of storytelling is one that builds connections, boosts creativity, and offers a venue for children to learn from their loved ones. And with a resource found at the back of Bedtime Stories: Original Tales Shared from One Generation to the Next, parents will have a tool to help their children connect with storytellers from different generations and write their own bedtime story as a way of preserving a family's legacy.

"Relationships among the generations are so important as we pass along experiences, stories, and wisdom from one to the next," said Gosselin. "Bedtimes stories are just one of many ways Holiday Retirement encourages intergenerational learning."

This compilation of stories and poems, primarily written and illustrated by Holiday Retirement residents ranging in age from 66 to 93, will take readers through the Milky Way Galaxy, on a zoo adventure, and for a ride on Mortimer Bean's crazy machine.

Purchase a copy of Bedtime Stories: Original Tales Shared from One Generation to the Next for $7.99 at sharebedtimestories.com; all proceeds benefit the National Center for Families Learning, a forward-thinking non-profit organization that addresses literacy by engaging all family members in learning, individually and as a group.

Holiday Retirement will continue to collect anecdotes, original tales, and fables handed down from generation to generation. Interested individuals are invited to send their beloved stories to sharebedtimestories@gmail.com. A select number of stories will be published on Better When Shared, Holiday Retirement's blog.

Editor's note: Story authors and illustrators are available for interviews to elaborate on what sharing their treasured stories means to them.

About Holiday Retirement
Since 1971, Holiday Retirement has endeavored to provide its signature "Holiday Touch" to residents and their families. Today, Holiday is a trusted name in senior living and provides security, comfort, and value to independent seniors seeking a fulfilling lifestyle. Holiday operates more than 300 retirement communities, making it the second largest senior housing operator in the United States. For more information about Holiday Retirement, please call 800-322-0999 or visit www.holidaytouch.com.