Sites like this, lost cousins, emails through genealogy websites, cousin connect, all of those, often give us opportunities to get in touch with distant family members. For me it is always a thrill to get a new contact, send off that first email and get their first reply. Often new information comes with it but either way you feel like you are really fleshing out your ancestral tree because it relates to real life living people, but then what?
Do any of you have the same trouble I do of keeping in touch? I was going through my mailbox a few days ago to clean it up and get rid of the three year old newsletters etc and I came across emails I received from people I had found through Ancestry when I signed up on a free trial. They all start with me introducing myself, asking if they are related and asking them to reply. Then they do, and I do, and maybe they do again.. and then thats it. Should there be a cut off point for being a 'relative'? If someone is your 4th cousin 6 times removed is it even worth making contact? or maintaining it? What do you talk about? I mean, once you have got what you wanted (new info??), should you build a relationship with someone who is actually a complete stranger to you?
I have never been a good correspondent but should I be making more effort? Am I the only one wondering about this?
How do YOU keep in touch with your 'rellies'??? (and how often).
Amy from Oz