Journals and How to Reach Out to Distant Cousins

Last week I was invited over to my Aunt Kathy's house to pick up some photos and things that had been marked for my mom (by my Grandma). Aunt Kathy is the one who ended up with many of the boxes from Grandma's house, and has taken the mission of sorting and dividing and sharing the contents with the family. It is a daunting task, as I know from trying to sort and scan and separate the important from the unimportant documents and photos from my parents' house. It is overwhelming and has risks of allergy attacks (or asthma attacks), injuring backs (those boxes are HEAVY) and causing one to remember the past, both fondly and with regret.

I was so happy to receive the copy of my Grandma's journal and to thumb through it last week. She is an example to me of the importance of saving the papers and programs from Christmas plays and other events as well as writing a note about them in a journal. It was a treat for me to read my Grandma's words, to hear her voice in my mind, to see how she felt about us - her family - and how she cherished us. Some entries were as though she was writing a special note just to me; she took time to write what was happening -- usually the TRIUMPHS and SUCCESSES - - of her children and grandchildren, and offered loving words to keep up the good work or to continue pursuing a talent and for those who her heart really ached, for those who were struggling, she desired so much to take the pain away, to hold us in her arms and bring us to the safety and love of a Grandmother who had faith, who had quiet strength, who truly loved us.

When I was 8 years old I received a journal of sorts, "All About Me" book that I did not keep with any diligence. When I was 12, my Grandma gave me a bound journal that I only occasionally wrote in during my younger teen years, but as I went through high school I got into the habit of writing the happenings of my life and the worries and the concerns I had about my life and the world around me. After I graduated from high school I kept writing, though not as regularly, and in the times that I have kept a journal, I inevitably ended up hurting someone when they stumbled across it and read my feelings of frustration or anger. I got out of the habit. I got out of the habit as a way to keep my feelings and thoughts to myself and not risk hurting someone that I love very much by writing the feelings down.
Well, Grandma's journal got me to thinking that in fact I need to get BACK into the habit of writing in a journal. Not only to express my gratitude, but to just keep a record of my day to day life, the life of my children, my husband, my brothers, and my family. I have a box of mementos where I slide in funeral programs and concert bills and little pictures that my kids draw for me, but I have not been good about writing the feelings and thoughts I have of those days, those moments... And since I have not been actively scrapbooking, I have years of papers and ribbons and art projects that have gone into my box...

I also have another genealogy related query on my mind. How do I reach out to share information with distantly related cousins, or even find them and get information to them? I am thinking about my other Grandma's family - her brother's children, her sister's children and grandchildren, etc. I am not expecting anyone to send me photos or anything of that nature (though I would LOVE to receive them), but I just want to know about them, get a family group sheet on them, their children, their grandchildren, so that I can keep a record of my cousins and the posterity to which I belong.
Grandma Starks's family tends to be reserved, quiet, unassuming. They are hard-working people with a great love for their family, but they are not the type to reach out. It is especially difficult for me, as I am a shy person in general, and I struggle with making phone calls, intruding into other people's lives. It sounds silly when I write it, but it is true. I stand at the threshold, wanting to go in, but I fear taking the step.
I do not know if people even read snail mail anymore. If I send a letter of inquiry, even with a self-addressed stamped envelope, would they respond?

In the same thread of will they respond and how to reach out to get in contact with family about family history, I have a desire to save the stories of my children's grandparents. My parents are no longer here to pester about "What was life like when you were a kid" but my husband's parents are. I want to give them each a book of journaling prompts, with room to write their answers, for Christmas, with the request that they give the resulting book BACK to their son or a group gift to my children the following Christmas. Am I crazy to think they would do it? Do people write anymore?

Well, I will continue working on my genealogy and getting CURRENT family history written down as well as working on past generations. November is my month to write fiction for NaNoWriMo (November is National Novel Writing Month) so genealogy research is on hold until I get my novel finished. It won't be long now. I am past the 50K words for "winning" NaNoWriMo, but my story has not been completed. I am currently at 65K words and still have more story to tell.

I would love ideas about journaling and how to get information from cousins and distant kindred if you have any - please share! :)

Happy Thanksgiving,
Dece