The Heritage of Family Storytelling: An Author Celebrates Memorial Day

May 29, 2010 - PRLog -- BUENA PARK, CA -- What will you do to celebrate Memorial Day this year? Invite friends over for a barbecue? Watch television? Take an extra nap?

Chris Peters, a local children's author, suggests a deeper way to celebrate. "I think people lose a lot when they forget the art of family storytelling," he notes. "When I was younger, I used to visit my grandfather when he wasn't feeling well. When we weren't watching cartoons or a nature show on TV, he would regale me with stories from his childhood and military service. Now that he's no longer with us, those stories are an essential link to my family's heritage, as well as a wonderful way to remember a great man."

Way to honor the memory of loved ones (and those older family members still living include conversation around the dinner table and seeking older family members out to ask about funny or scary times they've experienced. If you're feeling ambitious, you might even begin to document some family stories in written form.

The desire to keep family history alive was integral in inspiring Peters' latest book, "Earnest Meets the Outlaw". The book tells in light-hearted, narrative form one of the favorite stories of Peters' grandfather's childhood- the time when his father unwittingly aided a fugitive outlaw, right in the family's home! Peters asserts that every family likely has "nuggets" like these, waiting to be discovered through the joy of family storytelling.

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Cottontail Publishing is a grassroots publisher that focuses on books about families, relationships, and Christianity. Your questions and feedback are appreciated; we are also always on the lookout for new talent, and are currently accepting new submissions. www.cottontailpublishing.webs.com