Connecting With Your Family | Emily Dean | TEDxYouth@MBJH

Summary

The speaker reflects on the importance of family connections, sharing personal experiences about how family gatherings and traditions have shaped their life. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, which disrupted face-to-face interactions, the speaker emphasizes the need to maintain meaningful connections through calls, letters, and virtual meetings. They highlight the value of family history, advice shared during family dinners, and the lasting impact of close relationships. The talk encourages others to nurture deep connections with extended family, emphasizing the lifelong benefits of strong familial bonds.

Takeaways

• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family connections are crucial for emotional support and maintaining a sense of belonging.
• 📉 A significant portion of Americans have experienced family estrangement, with 27% not in contact with extended family.
• 💬 Regular communication, whether through phone calls or video chats like FaceTime, strengthens family bonds.
• 🏠 Family gatherings and traditions, such as annual trips and visits, help create lasting memories and maintain connections.
• 🌐 The pandemic disrupted family gatherings, highlighting the importance of finding alternative ways to stay connected.
• ✉️ Writing letters can be a meaningful way to strengthen relationships and feel more connected to loved ones.
• 🍽️ Family dinners serve as an essential time for communication, sharing stories, and passing down family histories.
• 📚 Knowing and sharing family history helps preserve the legacy and strengthens family identity for future generations.
• 🧠 Conversations around the dinner table often lead to valuable advice and wisdom from family members.
• 🤝 Building meaningful, deep connections with family members can lead to stronger relationships and support systems in life.

Q & A

What prompted the family to take a trip to Asheville, North Carolina?

The family decided to take a trip to Asheville, North Carolina after the grandmother's funeral in 2015 to spend time together and recover from the difficult few weeks they had just experienced.

What does the speaker mention about family estrangement statistics in the U.S.?

The speaker cites statistics from Carl Pillemer's 'Fault Lines,' stating that 40% of Americans have been estranged from their extended family at least once, and currently, 27% of Americans do not have contact with any extended family.

How does the speaker feel about their connection with extended family?

The speaker values their close relationship with extended family, emphasizing that their life would be very different without those connections.

What role does Uncle Bob play in the speaker’s life?

Uncle Bob, who lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, calls the speaker every few days and has recently learned to use FaceTime. They talk about school, grades, and even what type of ice cream they'll have for dessert, with these conversations being cherished by the speaker.

How has the pandemic affected the speaker’s family gatherings?

The pandemic put a pause on the family’s ability to gather in person, making it difficult to maintain their usual family traditions like Fourth of July and Thanksgiving trips, playing bocce ball, or chatting over coffee.

How did the speaker and their family maintain communication during the pandemic?

During the pandemic, the family resorted to other forms of communication, such as FaceTime calls and writing letters, to stay connected when they couldn’t gather in person.

Why does the speaker value writing letters over sending texts?

The speaker believes that writing letters takes more time and feels more meaningful than sending a text message. It helped them strengthen their connections with loved ones during the pandemic.

How does the speaker view family dinners, and why are they important?

The speaker views family dinners as essential for communication, learning conversation skills, and passing down family histories. It’s during these dinners that family stories are shared, and wisdom is passed down to younger generations.

What family history does the speaker learn about during family conversations?

The speaker shares a family history of their great-grandmother, who lost her parents and brother in a train crash in 1917. This tragedy left her with only her sister, and she passed down the lessons learned from this experience to future generations.

What message does the speaker emphasize about maintaining family connections?

The speaker emphasizes the importance of making meaningful and deep connections with family, not just through casual texts or social media but through intentional communication, such as phone calls or face-to-face interactions.