January 5, 2025

Dear Siblings,

Over the past year, I’ve been mulling over an idea. As the new year begins, I’ve decided to share it with you and invite you to participate in a project called “Connections.”

In short, the project is an attempt to share and collaborate on memories from each of our childhoods, reflecting on our individual as well as shared stories. Every several weeks, via email, I will send out a prompt or question for you to respond to (see below for an example). You’re invited to respond via email, written letter, or text message. I will then collate our responses and post them on a family blog site I’ll create, to which I will give you access. You’ll have one week to submit your response. 

Example: Name and describe several of your favorite foods as a child during Christmas and New Year’s. (Possible answer: Jan-in-de-zak – click here for details about Jan-in-de-zak)

Your involvement in “Connections” is entirely voluntary, and I understand that some prompts may not resonate with you. The span of years between siblings — from Maria to Janneke — is significant, not only in terms of what we remember but also in how we remember it. Additionally, the context of our family story evolved over several decades.

I also recognize the potential for some prompts to trigger painful memories for certain individuals. My hope is that “Connections” will inspire us to acknowledge and celebrate our stories, both collectively and individually. I also hope it becomes a shared experience where we, as siblings, engage with sensitivity, kindness, grace, and love, and learn from one another.  

I’m much less concerned with getting all the facts correct and more interested in sharing our diverse stories and experiences from our childhoods and young adult years.

Sincerely, Henry

PS: The example is our first prompt. 🙂 I look forward to your responses this week with next Sunday January 12 as our deadline.