July Newsletter

Welcome to the newsletter from Distance Families

​DISTANCE FAMILIES NEWS

I love discovering interesting articles—they’re a great way to absorb a little about a lot. Over breakfast, I scroll through various news sites and platforms, emailing myself the best finds. Some spark a desire to dig deeper, others I share through my work (like here), and many get tucked away in my personal archive—a growing collection of expert insights I don’t want to let slip through the cracks of daily life.
​Here are my recent finds.

• Bickering Grandparents Beware
• Petty Costs Caring for Older Parents
• 10 Thinks to know about grandparenting from a distance

• From Transition to Transformation: How FIGT Helped Me Find My Place and My Purpose
• Should you ever cut ties with your parents?
• How does expat life affect your child’s education?

​

 BOOK SERIES NEWS

The subtitle of all editions reads: A Book for ALL Generations.
 
My passion is to help all generations better understand how it is for one another. This has become the driving force behind my writing and my mantra for supporting the broader, interconnected society I call Distance Families:
 
With knowledge comes understanding…
With understanding comes empathy…
And empathy is a good thing for Distance Families.
 
Empathy—the ability to understand and share the feelings of another—is at the heart of what it means to be part of a distance family. But in this context, empathy goes even deeper. You cannot understand what you do not know. When one generation lives in one country (perhaps their “home”) and other generations live entirely different lives in another (which may also be their “home”), it takes intentional learning to bridge the gap. You must seek to understand the obvious, the subtle, and even the unspoken aspects of life in each other’s worlds.
 
That is the purpose of the Distance Families Book Series.
 
Furthermore, the need for empathy extends well beyond families. Educators, counsellors, HR professionals, military personnel, NGOs, diplomatic communities, missionary organisations, government immigration departments, relocation specialists—and all those involved in global mobility—can benefit greatly from a deeper understanding of the vital connections within intergenerational families separated by distance.

ON THE HOME FRONT

​The past month has brought a bit of family buzz on my side. With some of my NZ family living outside Auckland, big family gatherings aren’t an everyday thing—but we managed one in June, complete with the obligatory group photo.

Either side of that event, over two weekends (plus a bit more), we were all glued to our screens watching some serious live-stream action. My nephew-in-law, @simon_strides (you’ll spot him on the sofa with his wife and three little kids), competed in two “Backyard Ultra – Last One Standing” marathons—one north of Auckland and the other in Queensland, Australia.
You might be wondering, “What on earth is that?” Well, it’s a truly bonkers endurance event. Every hour, on the hour, runners complete a 6.7 km (4.1 mile) loop. They run, then grab a short rest—hydrate, maybe eat, doze, regroup—and go again. At base camp, a volunteer crew supports them with food, massages, and moral support, all while snatching 

​bits of sleep themselves. It’s intense, exhausting, and borderline insane in the best way.
In Queensland, the world record was broken by an Australian who completed 119 loops—yes, that’s nearly five days of running non-stop, one loop per hour. And Simon (in front in the photo)? He arrived as a relatively unknown and impressed everyone by reaching an incredible 90 loops. We’re beyond proud of him—and our amazing niece holding the fort back home. He’s now recovering, reportedly with very sore feet, but this won’t be the last we see of him. He’s now ranked among the world’s elite and has qualified for the world championships in Tennessee.
Watch this space.

​Take care until next time
Helen Ellis

P.S. 10 July 2025 - Here's a P.S. to Simon's story
 
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