Family connection

Text group shrinks the distance and keeps us close

My family started a text group when Dad was in the hospital in 2017. He passed away on September 5 of that year after spending most of those 12 months in the hospital and ultimately a long-term care facility.

He never got to see our text messages as we shared updates and concerns about his situation with one another.

Since then, the text group has evolved into another way our family stays in touch. Now, I admit that when my niece gets up to get ready for work at 5:30 a.m. and uploads all the pictures from the week featuring my great nephew’s latest shenanigans, I might not appreciate the constant dings from my phone. But those inconveniences are a small price to pay.

We’re all busy with demanding schedules. My two nieces each have a son; Boston recently turned 6, and Branch just celebrated his first birthday. While we can’t always attend ballgames and birthday parties, the messages still manage to keep us close.

My mom, who just turned 86 in February, provides constant entertainment in her own way as she comments on the shared photos. The auto-correct feature is no one’s friend, and it’s been particularly unkind to her. One of us will often have to provide context or interpret what she means. The garbled messages inspire much good-natured joking, but I’m thrilled she is still engaged and hope these interactions help her with lonely days and nights. She is often the first to comment on the banter among the group, so I know this keeps her amused.

Fortunately, these exchanges are for our own private consumption. We share mundane photos from our days and our weekend activities. When we take vacations, everyone gets to enjoy them through shared photos. My brother sends photos of the spring lambs bouncing and playing in the field.

In a recent short video, I watched Branch taking a walk on the gravel driveway and enjoyed his fascination as he let the rocks fall through his fingers by the double handfuls. In another, his mom is taking him out on the side-by-side to check on the calves. Maybe boring stuff for the masses, but these shared scenes mean a lot to us.

Very little of this would be stuff to post on social media. But within the family group, it’s all fine.

We hear all the time about how bad phones are. But in moderation, there are good points. It’s another way to stay connected with only minimal effort and minimize the distance that is easy to creep between us. If your family isn’t staying in touch as much as you would like, I would encourage you to try it.

Story by Glen Liford,

Contact gliford@ourcoop.com