How to Begin Gathering Long-Distance Family Stories
Does your family get events look different now? Do we have more family connecting over long distances then ever before? This is tough around the holidays when we are used to gathering at someone’s house and having those more intimate settings. But all is not lost. We can still feel that close connection with our family by gathering those long-distance family stories. It doesn’t take much to start your journey collecting these stories.
Video Calls
There are so many ways to gather family stories using video calls these days. The following is a just a few of the possibilities that are out there currently.
Even our smartphones can turn a regular call into a video call these days. So we all know the value of using one of these video conferencing platforms to gather those family stories. However, are we using them? Sometimes, it’s easier to chat with someone via a long distance video call right now, then it would be to see them face to face or by phone call. Especially, with how the year 2020 has made us all a little bit more familiar with this type of technology. This year has also made us aware of our human connections and how much we need and want them. Gathering those long-distance family stories from all over our family is just one way that we can scratch that itch.
Phone Calls for Long-Distance Family Stories
A tried and true method is just calling someone on the phone. There are many apps available for Android and Apple phones that are free and allow us to chat with loved ones and record it at the same time! The options below allow you to record live conversations with your family members.
But the main point that I want to make here is to use the technology that is easiest to learn for your family member and you. Phone calls are great for most everybody, but you don’t get the video with it unless you choose another App option such as Marco Polo. This app allows you to record short messages for your family and then lets them listen to it when THEY are ready to. This eliminates the need to find a schedule that works for everybody. All of this can be done from your phone!
Story Collecting Companies
There’s also another way to gather those long distance stories and that is by using a story collecting company. Storyworth is the one that I’m familiar with, but I know there are many other similar ones out there. Storyworth is a company that you can subscribe to and they send you or your relative a story prompt. You can customize it to send once a week, twice a month, or monthly depending on your preference. Again, this isn’t for everyone because it does involve a little more tech then picking up the phone would require, but it is doable under the right circumstances. So give it a try when you’re ready!
Conclusion
No matter what tech or non tech tool you use, remember to be attentive and a good listener. Don’t interrupt when your relative is on a roll. You can edit later, but right now it’s all about gathering. So this holiday season, focus on gathering at least one family story for yourself. And remember to watch your brain while doing this. It will want to give you excuses as to why you can’t do this right now. But it only takes a few minutes and you might even want to get more stories.
And in the meantime…good luck and happy hunting!
Tiffany
P.S. For more articles about how to gather, record, and share family stories then check out the articles below…
family stories, long distance family stories, stories, storyworth
