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Facebook Family Reunion
Hard to believe a person whose name is “Kel Kelly” could be half Italian. It’s true. Like most ethnic families, growing up meant lots of family-centric events — think My Big Fat Greek Wedding but Italian style. Everything revolved around my Nana and Papa’s house. My grandparents were straight off the boat from Italy, barely spoke a lick of English, and didn’t have two nickels to rub together, but what they did have was family. And boy did they. They raised ten kids under a single roof of a small house. I loved family get togethers and every Italian stereotype you have ever heard was my world when at Nana’s — plastic covered couch, cheek pinching, meatball pushing, broken English, grapes growing in the backyard and short, round women with aprons hovering over a gas stove.
After my Nana’s death and then my Mom’s, we grew apart from extended family. Life took over and our worlds got busy. People moved. Slowly over time we lost touch with everyone. It was sad. Enter Facebook. Over the last few months, I have started finding relatives and recruiting them to Facebook. I started a Facebook group called “Forced Fuoco Fun” as an online, ongoing family reunion Italian style. Not only have I tracked down relatives from across the country (California, Florida, New York, Colorado, Maine, and more) I have recruited them all to Facebook. This includes my 82-year-old aunt on Cape Cod who thinks you need a passport to go over the Sagamore bridge, so she never does.
The Facebook reunion has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. People are posting photos from 50 years ago, sharing recipes, telling stories, laughing, crying and everything in between. Although Facebook emerged as a social networking tool for college students, it has truly transformed the world well beyond that demographic. It is estimated that 30+% of Facebook’s 60,000,000 members are over the age of thirty. Although I don’t know how many are Italian, I know there are about thirty more now than there were four months ago.
What interesting Facebook connections have you made?
April 27th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Very nice Kelly. I love reading what you write. So interesting. The good thing is that we are all slowly getting back in touch and it is all because of you, for that I thank you.
Cousin Nancy
April 27th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
A few corrections, Kel. Nana came over from Italy when she was only 7 years old. Her family was fairly well off. Aunt Ida and Viola were graduates of Boston School of Music. Ida played violin and Viola the piano.
Because Nana was so young when she came here she could never speak Italian without going into English. I guess that’s the reason why we never learned to speak Italian.
The last group of pictures were really something. Made me feel a wee bit emotional. I had never seen the one of Nana and her sisters.
Facebook is just great. Love you all
April 27th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
that was my 82-year-old aunt that schooled me on the above comment. she is a pistol! you’ll note she didn’t deny the fact that she never leaves the cape. too funny!
April 28th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
The most exciting part to me about reconnecting through FB is being on the receiving end of a note from an old pal. I received a note from a old friend just last week. I am 35 years old and had not heard from him in 20 years, so we were just 15 years old when we last spoke. Now we hope to get together in person this summer. That would have NEVER happened otherwise….
April 28th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
drew — wow! that must have been a trip. seeing someone after all those years must have been like a fast forward through age progression. very cool.
April 29th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
In the last month, I have reconnected with a college friend after (gulp) 20 years; he was reading a contract for my company at the time. What a coincidence. Two weeks later, a friend from SECOND GRADE connected with me, and I got to see picture of me and my elementary school friends I had not seen in far longer that 20 years. Its a trip, and a reason to go visit and see friends with children older than we were when we met!
April 29th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
david — holy cow! second grade! that has to be the wildest facebook reconnection i have ever heard. thanks for sharing it.
May 1st, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Hi Kel,
Uncle Bob has been telling me about the site you put together. This is so great now everyone can get a chance to say hi to each other, and see where everyone went.
Way to go.
Barbara Fuoco