What we do to keep our families close

[thetreble 19]

Reading all the stuff about missing mum's got me thinking...

Most every one has family back home and what do you find the best way to keep close with them is?

My brothers are two of my best friends in the world and I'm constantly calling them, facebooking them, texting them. I have found facebook the best way to get in touch at times.

I drive to see my brother play hockey when ever I can. I will literally drive any distance to see him

[Sprailenes 47]

Well Amanda, I know your thoughts on "old people" and facebook.

But I got my entire family into facebook and its helped us all keep in touch, we made our own group and the place is always filling up with news and jokes.

I also recently got skype so that my mother, my son and I can talk and also see eachother but we also call all the time. I also get my son to write old fashioned letters to his aunts and uncles, this helps him practice his writing but also lets him keep in touch without the convenience of the 'send button' - you think more when you write it out - I write letters too. We do it all, email, everything. Plus we visit eachother as much as possible... never enough though.

[Emancipation 2]

*sigh.. this is the hard button for me... my family SUCKS at keeping in touch.. just wrote my bro an email.. he's a ponk and probably will never acknowledge..

[MissStacey 1]

Me and my sis text message lots through Blackberry messenger.

My mom has unlimited long distance so I phone her so she sees my number come up and she phones me back.

[bluegreen 0]

Facebook is a big one for me too. I was kind of a Facebook cynic before I left, but now I find it really does keep me connected. I make sure I post lots of pictures of what we are up to and comment on everyone else's stuff. I also make a huge effort to call. I'm not realy a phone person so it's hard, but it is totally worth it. Sometimes I get frustrated because t feels like I make all the effort, but then again, I am the one who left.

I also try and really remember to send cards and letters and gifts for birthdays and stuff. Even friends I would not have necessarily done that for in the past (I would just meet them for a b-day drink after work!). I am slowly getting used to the fact that I need to send stuff a month in advance, or they just won't get there.

We are having our Big Fat Family wedding this summer, so I've spent lots of time on the phone with my Mum, sisters and girlfriends who have all been helping out a lot. My half husband (until we have the big wedding, he is only half) grumbles about all the wedding #######, but really, it just keeps us all on the phone chatting and laughing.

But ohhhh, I miss them all!

[thetreble 19]

Well Amanda, I know your thoughts on "old people" and facebook.

Hey, I don't want my mum seeing crazy pictures of me on FB, ok?

I send my mum cards through the mail all the time. The last one I sent her was for St. Paddys Day, and I'm about to send her one for Easter. I think it's great that you make Ethan right old fashioned letters. I think it's the best way to get emotion across.

[Wis-Can 0]

My sweetie is already making plans for the internet, (he didn't have it put in after he bought the new house) and an unlimited long distance package on the phone. My parents are excellent for keeping in touch...we live four hours apart now and I talk daily to them. I am leaving my desktop computer with them and will have to stay with them a couple days before I leave since neither of them even know how to turn it on! So when I'm 32 hours away I can still talk to them daily. My Petie promised me that once I get to the point that I can travel back to Canada we will be going back at least once a year, and hopefully twice. His family is very close and its a large family so he knows how important family is.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Facebook - for friends and 'some family' - those not scared of computers or facebook (mom, dad...you know who you are....)

Vonage - have the virtual local number for the Kitchener area code (about $5/month extra) - free for everyone to call me which is handy

Snail mail - my mother prefers this approach. She writes me a biweekly letter (to Mrs Miller ) . it's always on a postcard in a larger envelope and she always includes some random book mark that she bought at a bookstore. My mother is very cute sometimes.

Email - mostly my little bro who has no internet at home (too poor, bought a new house), but sends them from work

Edited March 25, 2009 by Udella&Wiz

[JillA 2]

Well I'm used to living away from my Dad, as I moved from Montreal to Oakville at age 15, so it was always visits every 2-3 months with him. But Mom, we are so close as can be. When I moved out from her home into my own apt, we still spoke daily and saw eachother for tea or dinner 1-2 times per week. When she found out I fell in love with an American, she couldn't be happier for me. She wanted me to find someone special to treasure me, and loves her son in law. She never once made me feel bad for leaving, she always said follow your heart. I have unlimited LD so we talk every single night for 1/2 hour or so, since I moved not one day passed without us talking. I send her cards too, just "I love you" cards or thinking of you. She sends me alot of postcards. She looks at my photos on FB. Tomorrow will be my first visit home and she is thrilled, she has visited me here once. I tell her everything, she's so awesome. We can literally talk about anything and it's like talking to my BFF.

My sister, we're not superclose because she lived in Montreal when I moved to Ontario, so we're also used to living apart. But, we talk about 5 days per week, FB, e-mail, we do keep in touch well. I think keeping in touch is the best remedy for homesickness, I haven't felt terribly homesick since I moved and I think it's because of the constant communcation and planning to see one another. It keeps me going!

[SapphireDreams 71]

Well, I'm worried about this as I am not that great at keeping in touch with people. I plan to use facebook, email, Skype, msn to talk to my friends and siblings. My Mom is always on email, so I can send her notes there. I'll probably call her often, maybe not everyday but at least 5x a week...I will miss seeing my nephew, he is only 3 so his phone conversations are not that deep yet, LOL. I'm sure it will be fine, and I plan to visit every couple of months because I'm planning a big wedding that will require me to go back and forth next year so that will be good.

I plan to start a blog when I move so that all my friends and family can follow me. I work in PR and with social media being big and with a lot of my friends and network already blogging and twittering, it should be easy for me to stay in touch this way. I plan to use my first couple of months off exploring NYC and so I'm hoping to post my adventures!

[Sprailenes 47]

Yea, my husband and I started our own site but we suck at updating it.

We use google analytics though to tell who visits and we do get a lot of vistitors checking from home every now and then.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

I found that for the first little while...I really wanted and needed to talk to folks back home and then once I was off the phone, i think I felt worse because I missed them so much so I'd bawl for about 10 minutes.

I realized that people at home were doing things that I wasn't a part of anymore and that made me sad - especially trying to keep in touch with my 2 nieces, 8 and 10. the 10 yr old has become quite a chatty cathy so we have some nice conversations now...it makes me feel happy.

You do find out who is important to you and who isnt. Sad but true, there are some people who are just good at keeping in touch, some not. My older brother is horrible...but frankly when I lived 3 minutes from him, he was then too.

Try not to worry too much, the separation will bother you to a certain degree always I think, but it gets better

[thetreble 19]

Try not to worry too much, the separation will bother you to a certain degree always I think, but it gets better

It does get "better" but I feel it's cyclic too. Even though I'm not homesick every day, there are a lot of times where I still need to just talk to her and see how shes doing.

There are months where I'm okay and then other that I'm not. I'm not sure if it will ever go away.

[Sprailenes 47]

This past time when my mom left I gave her a huge hug... like just stood there hugging her for a good minute. When my grandfather was dying, I wanted to hug him. But my family isn't really like that - typical native family. Not too much into the 'i love you's' or that kind of stuff, you just know that you're loved and you don't question it. It never bothered me.

But when my grandfather died all I wanted to do was hug him, and I couldn't bring myself to do it. I regret it.

So now I am a born again hugger.

I hug people when I say hello. I hug people when I say goodbye. Because you never know what is going to happen. I never used to be a huggy person, but when my grandfather died I learned to be. I hug my son as much as I can... tell him I love you as much as I can.

But that hug I gave my mom and she smiled really big, a smile that I had never seen before. Its funny how you can live with with someone an entire lifetime and you see an expression that is new to you.

[JillA 2]

The times I get the saddest is when I know my loved ones are doing something and I'm not included. Like when Mom has my sister, bro in law and 2 dogs over for Sunday dinner, I feel so lonely and left out. Also when my friends are having a girls night out, when I find that stuff out it hurts. I know I'm not being purposely excluded but I feel that way sometimes.