The 21-Day Family Connections Experiment: Update

It’s Day 8 of the Family Connections Experiment and I thought I’d share an update of some of the interest-sparking photographs and conversations I’ve been able to have with family members over the last 8 days.

The very first photograph I shared was this one of my husband’s great grandmother, Ella Lucille McMahon Zimmerman. I shared this in our private family Facebook group, with Ella’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and it sparked a lot of great conversations and memories. Ella enjoyed writing poetry and I was also able to share a poem she had written mentioning all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

We’ve had some great conversations with family about our names, and who we are named after. I felt like I had done my job when my boys were (mostly) able to tell me who they were named after!

I wrote about a lesson my mom taught me and shared it with her and posted here on my blog about newly discovered documents concerning my third great aunt, Charlotte Lillie Davis, and her nursing service aboard the H.S. Brittanic during World War 2.

Being VE Day today, May 8, I also shared the story of my 2nd cousin twice removed, Stanley Mather Thomas, who died at age 22 during World War Two. I’ve found these private family Facebook groups a great way to share information and stay in touch with my extended family in England, Canada, Australia and, South Africa.

I’ve spent some time on FamilySearch and realized that while stories of my husband’s ancestors are very well represented, my own are not. I added two stories about my grandparents, but have many more to go.

I’ve had fun doing a little something each day for this experiment on family connections. It’s more than just fun though. At this time, when we all feel somewhat disconnected from our normal lives, reaching out to family and friends can help us feel more connected. We realize that a lot binds us to those we love and that sharing memories and conversation reminds us that we are not alone. Reading about the trials and hardships that our ancestors experienced reminds us that we too have that resilience, and we can get through the hard times in our lives. Connection to me brings peace.