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Event Program 2026

Stories to Song will benefit Ohio Living memory care programs and resources. Across Ohio Living life plan communities and our Certified Memory Care Centers of Excellence, memory care is being reimagined through a deeper commitment to compassionate, person-centered support. This philosophy is brought to life through extensive employee training of the I’m Still Here® approach which focuses on strengths, abilities, and engagement. We believe that dementia is only one part of a person’s story; their strengths and abilities, life experiences, and relationships remain at the core. Every act of generosity strengthens Ohio Living’s mission to provide adults with caring and quality services toward the enhancement of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being consistent with the Christian Gospel. The Ohio Living Foundation funds opportunities that support growth, innovation, social connection, and whole person wellness. To learn more about the impact and priorities of the Ohio Living Foundation, visit ohioliving.org/foundation.

All songs were written by local Columbus songwriters. Music was produced by Spark Storytellers and recorded live at Oranjudio in June 2026. For information about the writers and musicians, visit storiestosong.com or scan the code.

Welcome to Stories to Song, a concert connecting memories, mission, and music! Tonight you will hear original songs written and performed by local Columbus songwriters and musicians. The inspiration behind the music is guided by eleven independent living residents with diverse experiences. We are grateful to the musical talent and older adults who openly shared special moments and life lessons that resonate with all ages. Ohio Living celebrates cognitive vitality and aging through various lines of service like independent living, assisted living, and memory care. We believe living with purpose and vibrancy is possible at all stages of life. With your support, you ensure best in class services and resources are available for older adults and families living with memory loss. We invite you to sit back and enjoy the music.

With Gratitude,

Barb Lyon Chief Development Officer The Ohio Living Foundation

Laurence C. Gumina Chief Executive Officer Ohio Living

Dana Ullom-Vucelich Chief Human Resources Officer Ohio Living

If you have been moved by your experience this evening and wish to make an additional contribution in support of memory care, please visit info.ohioliving.org/storiestosong.

DOWNSIZING

Resident Richard Hicks with Songwriter Joey Viola

As I sing loud and clear, in poor cheer, With only my memories to guide me, What’s a new widower to do? When ya ain’t got a clue. Could I downsize and move into here? Had a big old house, with screws loose, no doubt. And the roof, it leaked when it rained. Fix it myself, but the cards had all been dealt. Could I downsize and move into here? Life’s problems come and go, but the blessing I know Would only make up for my troubles. Took one look there in the mirror, Said, “To hell with this hammer and nail,” Could I downsize and move into here? Yeah, yeah Where there ain’t no fixin’ nothing. All my dues are paid. Ain’t no fixin’ nothing. I’m just living for today. What I lack here in space, I make up for with a neighbor’s smiling face And memories I hold so dear, As I still get to rock and roll ... my final years.

Downsizing is not about making life smaller— it’s about deciding what to carry, what to release, and how a new chapter can still be expansive.

So let’s move on, my friends, Our lives are not ends When our senior years begin to enfold us. Downsizin’ is tough, but the memories are enough To keep our loved ones near. Keepin’ loved ones near Keepin’ loved loved ones near Living life, living life near Keepin’ loved ones near Living life, loving life here. Living life, loving life here. Keeping loved ones near Living life, loving life here.

WORKING IT OUT

Resident Ray Hinrichs with Songwriter Phil Cogley

When she appeared out of the past, I knew, yeah, I knew. In a flash, my days might be changing. Put a bookmark in my life And wondered, yeah, I wondered, What the next chapter would hold. When would it unfold? I’m working it out, Still working it out. Ah-ah, Ah-ah. I held the flute up to the light And I pondered, yeah, I pondered, Life’s complications lingering on my tongue. Had a sip, next a glass, Then a bottle, yeah, a bottle, And I realized this one would stay on my shelves. I’m working it out, Still working it out. Ah-ah, Ah-ah. I just want to slow it down. I just want to try this out. I just want to savor all we’ve got. We don’t have to do it all. We don’t have to heed each call. All we’ve got to do is be ourselves. “Don’t be afraid,” she said to me. “We’ll get through, we’ll get through. You can always say yes, or you can say no.” We’re working it out, Still working it out. We’re working it out, Still working it out. Ah-ah, Ah-ah.

Love is worth the effort at every stage of life.

PRAYING FOR PEACE

Resident Bill Tenney with Songwriter Dan Myers

May courage one day be measured not only by how we fight, but by how we choose peace.

Been prayin’ for peace since I was five, And I’d only seen toy soldiers die. Tryin’ to fill my daddy’s jump boots In backyard foxholes, diggin’ for my roots. Other boys and girls half a world away, With different boots and prayers and ways to play. The time’s comin’ won’t be no game. I’ll be prayin’ for peace ’cause we’ll all bleed the same. Went to war back in ’65 With a prayer for peace and a KA-BAR knife. A child of God, a friend to ghosts, And a son of a bitch when my back’s on the ropes. There’s hell to pay in a hot LZ, And you’re a long way out from the Land of the Free. Flesh on fire, brass fallin’ like rain, Prayin’ for peace ’cause we all bleed the same.

If I die in a combat zone, Box me up and send me home. Pin my medals upon my chest. Tell my mama I done my best. Now my life’s drawing to an end After 60 years of walking dead. The war machine keeps belching smog, Brand-new bones for the same old dog. Different colors, and cultures and names for God, Different prayers for peace that time forgot. Now my children’s children fight in their day. I keep prayin’ for peace ’cause we all bleed the same.

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Benesch is proud to support the Ohio Living Foundation’s continued investment in cognitive vitality programming through its 2026 Stories to Song initiative.

USED TO ME

Resident Tricia Herban with Songwriter Liz Fisher

I’d like to right all of my wrongs So I could make each day a song And live at the edge of a dream Where God’s getting used to me. When I make each hour count, Plant my flowers, Keep reaching out, I can rest easy at night Knowing God’s getting used to me. There are no mountains here to move, Just grace to give, Nothin’ to prove, To be enough, To bring a human touch. Life means so much more to me, Fleeting moments that I see. As I run, My world just opens up.

Perhaps grace is not about becoming flawless. Perhaps it is about continuing the conversation.

So when I feel alone, I turn to my friends, Write a poem. To light the way forward, to shine, So God can get used to me. Now I am learning to smile. I’ll drink some tea, Stay awhile. With God’s grace I’m starting to dream, And I’m getting used to me. I’m getting used to me. And I’m getting used to me.

FORMal LIFE

Resident Patrick Doust with Songwriter Jeff Straw

They gave me a clipboard, and they told me, “Please complete.” Said, “Just fill out your details,” in a voice filled with conceit. There’s a box for male and female and a box for prefer not, But no box for “Depends on the day and how much coffee I got.” It asked for occupation, so I checked off “Retired,” Though I am busier now than the day that I got hired. Where’s the box for “Tinkers with gadgets” and “Thinks of new schemes,” Or “Still wakes up at 3 a.m. chasing half-finished dreams”? Check all that apply, but none of them will fit. I’m a whole lot more than this bureaucratic writ. I’m a puzzle with pieces that they ain’t printed yet. Yeah, I’m a wild card they will never, ever get. Yeah, check all that apply, But I don’t apply to it. They want my ethnicity like it’s a recipe card, But my family tree’s so tangled it tears up the whole backyard. I checked “Other,” wrote “Ask Grandma!” They didn’t find it cute. Humor ain’t a box either. Well, ain’t that hoot. Maybe someday they’ll add “Human, doing my best,” “Still figuring it out” or “Perpetually stressed.” ’Til then, I’ll keep on scribbling in the margins they don’t need, ’Cause life don’t fit in boxes, and neither do I indeed. So hand me all your forms, and I’ll play your little game, But don’t think for a second that you’ve captured my name. I’m a walking contradiction with a grin you just can’t quit. And, buddy, I’m proud to not apply to it. Check all that apply, but none of them will fit. I’m a whole lot more than this bureaucratic writ. I’m a puzzle with pieces that they ain’t printed yet. Yeah, I’m a wild card they will never, ever get. Yeah, check all that apply, But I don’t apply to it.

Dignity means honoring independence, and people can’t be reduced to a checkbox on a form.

Proud to support Ohio Living Foundation’s Stories to Song

Proud to support Ohio Living Foundation Stories to Song

If children are like flowers, a great teacher creates the conditions for each one to rise toward the light like a daffodil.

DAFFODILS

Resident Irene Butler with Songwriter Angela Perley

Little children sprout like daisies. Springtime petals amaze me. Laugh and bend under the turmeric sun. In life’s garden, there’s space for everyone. I’m older now, But I’m still growing, I’m still growing. I remember a house Where love hung around Like daffodils in the rain. Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, Like daffodils in the rain. Through lightning bolts and dark thunder, When cloudy days have dug you under, This too shall pass with time, A friend’s hand and a good nursery rhyme. I’m older now, But I’m still growing, I’m still growing. I remember a house Where love hung around Like daffodils in the rain. Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, Like daffodils in the rain.

All my life, I’ve been a gardener Of kids and roses, sons and daughters. Some thorns bent, some leaves were clipped, Sailing wild like moonlit ships. I’m older now, But I’m still growing, I’m still growing. I remember a house Where love hung around Like daffodils in the rain. Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, Like daffodils in the rain. Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, Like daffodils in the rain. I’m older now, But I’m still growing, I’m still growing. I remember a house Where love hung around Like daffodils in the rain.

WHO WE ARE

Resident Kitty Rohrer with Songwriter Mercedes Aviles

Beneath different languages, customs, and landscapes, our shared humanity runs deeper.

As I travel the world over, I begin to see That people everywhere are a lot like me. Folks love, laugh and raise their voices in song, Celebrating new birth and those who live long. We have festivals and gatherings of family and friends, Preparing and sharing a meal with feelings to mend. As we get to know each other, our differences seem small. We feel safe and comfortable to let our defenses fall. So reach out, grasp a hand, give a smile, take a stand. Open your heart, make a friend, do your part and understand. We can make the world better with loving and care, Offering hope and acceptance to all who are there. People are sad; we’re afraid, scared of what’s next. We feel lonely, abandoned and can’t be at rest. We all cry and grieve for the things we have lost, Our loved ones, our dreams, things we care about most. We need one another and a place to belong, A sense of community where no one is wrong.

So reach out, grasp a hand, give a smile, take a stand. Open your heart, make a friend, do your part and understand. We can make the world better with loving and care, Offering hope and acceptance to all who are there. So reach out, grasp a hand, give a smile, take a stand. Open your heart, make a friend, do your part and understand. We can make the world better with loving and care, Offering hope and acceptance to all who are there. As I travel the world over, I begin to see That people everywhere are a lot like me.

JOAN’S SONG

Resident Jack Randolph with Songwriter Chris Heidel

Joan’s Song holds one beautiful image: a husband offering his voice across distance, time, and loss.

I came to your garden alone, The dew still wet, The grass stuck to my clothes. I got dressed before anyone would know Just to sing to you, Joan. I came to your garden alone To walk and wander the sea and the stones. If you wonder how deep our love can go, I’ll sing to you, Joan. It’s my voice, the one you hear, The same voice you heard for all these years. It’s my voice, loud and clear. Dear Joan, my voice, the one you hear.

OPEN WINDOWS

Resident Hazel Morrow-Jones with Songwriter Jamie Ravine

When the spirit leaves the body, A window is open in the room So the soul can fly free Wherever it wants to be. After the autumn crocus bloomed, You were the hardest hand to let go. Too many loved ones gone too soon. All the open windows. I feel invisible without you. You’re now my imaginary friend. Oh, I miss everything. I still wear my ring. After the autumn crocus bloomed, You were the hardest hand to let go. Too many loved ones gone too soon. All the open windows, The open windows. The open windows. Envious seeing couples embrace, No one to care for me, But you are free from pain. Ooo After the autumn crocus bloomed, You were the hardest hand to let go. Too many loved ones gone too soon. All the open windows. The open windows, the open windows. The open windows, the open windows. The open windows. You called me blue eyes.

When love doesn’t simply disappear when life ends, life becomes an open window where presence, wisdom, and connection can continue to move through our lives.

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Supporting the Ohio Living Foundation and Stories to Song Patrick Doust and Richard North

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Pr oud t o support n io t a d n u o F g in iv L io h O St ories t o Song

ALASKA

Resident Susan Imel with Songwriter Brandi Sparks

It was the adventure of a lifetime Driving down the road just me and you No radio signal, but we didn’t need it. We had stories and a beautiful view I’ll never forget the way that it felt seeing it for the first time Into the wilderness with my brother by my side We had sky for miles, nobody else around Pinch me, am I dreaming? It’s midnight and the sun’s still out. We hopped on a bus to see Denali You were sad when the clouds got in the way. That didn’t matter, cause all we had Was one pair of binoculars, anyway. I’ll never forget the way that it felt seeing it for the first time Into the wilderness with my brother by my side We had sky for miles, nobody else around Pinch me, am I dreaming? It’s midnight and the sun’s still out. Set out to roam a world of wild wonder Every memory still framed in my mind The story of our Alaskan adventure Would be the last one we’d ever write

The memory of a journey with a loved one can keep glowing long after it is over.

I’ll never forget the way that it felt seeing it for the first time Into the wilderness with my brother by my side We had sky for miles, nobody else around Pinch me, am I dreaming? It’s midnight and the sun’s still out. Ohh, we had sky for miles, nobody else around Pinch me, am I dreaming? It’s midnight and the sun’s still out. It’s midnight, it’s midnight, it’s midnight and the sun’s still out

WALK WITH YOU

Resident Larry Miller with Songwriter Chris Boisvert

You were there the day I climbed those stairs, Last step after 500 miles. Traded boots for a pair of gospel shoes. Walk me down all the center aisles.

As a pastor, Larry learned that meaningful ministry often begins with a I wanna walk with you, Climb to the highest branch and take in this whole view. willingness to walk Someday when the sky’s the perfect shade of blue, beside someone when I wanna walk with you. I wanna walk with you. their path is uncertain. Strummin’ five strings Helped me find my meaning, Shinin’ light beams Between those prison bars.

I was there, the first breath of fresh air. Been a while since you could fill your lungs. Who’d believe a man who looks like me Sitting with the hardest ones to love? Sometimes stars fall To brighten up a room. Feels like nightfall Living without you. I wanna walk with you, Climb to the highest branch and take in this whole view. Someday when the sky’s the perfect shade of blue, I wanna walk with you. I wanna walk with you. This is life, in the real, you can see. Don’t you want to walk with me? Cause I wanna walk with you, Climb to the highest branch and take in this whole view. When we fall, it’ll feel like flying too. I wanna walk with you. I wanna walk with you. I wanna walk with you, Climb to the highest branch and take in this whole view. Someday when the sky’s the perfect shade of blue, I wanna walk with you. I wanna walk with you

Melody Sponsors: (donations of $5,000+)

Schoedinger Funeral and Cremation Services Patrick Doust and Richard North The Marzetti Company

Reidenbach Law Group, LLC Huntington Bank Concept Rehab and Engage Consulting Benesch

Ice Miller

Rockbridge

Buckingham

WesBanco

Strategic Dining Services

Echo Sponsors: (donations of $2,500+)

Haller Wealth Management Group

Solenne Health Services

Chelko Community Fund

Dorothy Blom

Laurence C. Gumina

Curana Health

Barb and John Lyon

Dana Ullom-Vucelich

Balanced BHRT

Elford

Delta Dental

Margaret and Adam Hoff

Richard and Christie Frenchie

Rachel and Bob Stern William and Monica Tenney

In-Kind Sponsors:

Production Partners:

Natalies Grandview

Spark Storytellers

Baesman

Oranjudio Creative Director Joey Viola

Stories to Song 2026