March Newsletter

Welcome to the newsletter from Distance Families

DISTANCE FAMILIES NEWS

​Early in the month I was the guest speaker for a webinar hosted by The World Bank Group Family Network. The bank’s employees are truly global as they're despatched to all corners of the globe. 500 staff and/or partners registered for the event! That’s pretty daunting when the kick-off time in New Zealand is 7am. 
​I salute the #worldbankgroup and all other family-friendly, global employers who recognise that their staff, spouses and children are more than just employees, partners and off-spring. Every minute of every day they are also Distance Daughters, Distance Sons, Distance Grandchildren and more. These roles never leave their being, no matter where they live and hugely affect the success and personal happiness of their global career assignments.

Last month I shared that I had won the ‘Super Gran’ award over the holidays.

​Well this month I've acquired another title, a Granfluencer... bestowed upon me by the awesome team at #Peekabond. You may read more here.

Be sure to check out their terrific intergenerational communication app. Click on the logo below.

---

BOOK SERIES NEWS

Last month I wrote about kicking off my research and writing the third book in the Distance Families Book Series, 'Being a Distance Grandchild - a Book for ALL Generations'. Here is a picture of just some of my research after a big sort out on the kitchen counter. And there is lots more where it came from. It's all about families (distance and close), grandchildren, grandparenting... sadly not one single article is about 'how it is' being a distance grandchild. I have noted in the book's draft...
"When I did my masters and wrote Being a Distance Grandparent I found a sprinkling of academic commentary discussing the nature of distance grandparent’s relationships with their geographically separated grandchildren. In reverse, no formal scholarship exists from the grandchild’s perspective. To the best of my knowledge this book is breaking new ground."

---

ON THE HOME FRONT

February has been a month to remember. New Zealand was hammered with further unimaginable weather bombs. Many parts of the North Island, some as close as 40 minutes away from me are devastated beyond all imagination and may never be occupied again, due to slips and destroyed roads.
​We remain ever grateful our house has survived. Our only incident was trying to stake our seriously leaning, curb side tree with a length of old hose in 100+ km winds. It will be a case of ‘wait and see’ if the tree survives over the next few months.

​As our U.S. distance family has settled back into their routines after visiting NZ it was lovely to catch up on Facetime the other day to see our grandsons playing a newly purchased game of Ludo. We found the boardgame in a cupboard at a holiday house we stayed at during New Year. The boys had never played it before so there was a learning curve and some upset when one or other couldn’t roll a 6 to start. It was terrific to see they had moved on from their early Ludo emotional encounters and now play with resilience and acceptance. Our distance family in-person connections are fleeting but you never know what they are learning and taking home with them.

​Take care until next time
Helen Ellis
 
P.S. Not registered to receive this monthly newsletter? You may register on the right of this page. Thanks for your support. HE