This Gathering Place (with Shelly Cowan) | Episode 6

05/09/24 • 30 min

1 Listener

Imagine sitting down at family dinner where a simple table becomes the heart of lasting traditions and deeper connections...

When my sister-in-law Shelly Cowan needed a bigger table for her five growing boys, she didn't just buy one – she built a 10-foot gathering place with her father. More than a decade later, that table has become more than furniture; it's transformed into sacred ground where daily questions, birthday traditions, and vulnerable conversations weave together the fabric of family bonds. In this episode, Shelly reveals how small, consistent practices – from sharing daily "highlights and lowlights" to telling birth stories at birthday dinners – have created such a powerful culture of connection that even her teenage sons linger at the table long after meals end.

Her story shows how intentional family spaces can bridge generational gaps and strengthen relationships, one meal at a time. Whether you're feeling disconnected from your growing family or searching for ways to create meaningful traditions, Shelly's practical wisdom will inspire you to transform everyday moments into lasting family connections. You'll discover that sometimes the most powerful family traditions start with something as simple as asking "What was the best part of your day today?"

📝 Ready to create your own meaningful family gathering place? Visit the companion blog post at CristaCowan.com/blog for my favorite 'Story Seeds' and practical tips to help you start (or refine) your own family traditions.

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🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us' wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review to help other families find their path to deeper connection through family history. Together, we're building a community of families committed to preserving and sharing the stories that matter most.
🖼️ Ready to turn your family discoveries into a beautiful conversation piece? Visit FamilyChartmasters.com to create a family tree chart that will help your family share stories for generations.
♥ Want more family history tips and inspiration? Follow me @CristaCowan on Instagram where I share behind-the-scenes looks at my own family discoveries and practical ways to uncover yours!

Imagine sitting down at family dinner where a simple table becomes the heart of lasting traditions and deeper connections...

Previous Episode

Out of Obscurity (with Kevin Giddins and Camlyn Giddins) | Episode 5

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One child, 35 foster siblings, and an AncestryDNA test that changed everything...

In this moving episode, I sit down with Kevin Giddins and his filmmaker daughter Camlyn as they share their journey from being keepers of old secrets to tellers of powerful new stories. Through their father-daughter viewpoints, we witness how modern technology and cherished traditions blend to forge meaningful family connections. Their example of asking a simple question - "How is your world?" - shows us how to transform relationships across generations, turning hidden histories into shared stories that shape who we are.

Want to learn more about connecting with your adult children? Visit CristaCowan.com/blog for practical tips and story prompts inspired by this conversation.

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And Then I Heard A Meadowlark Sing (with Sunny Morton) | Episode 7

Genealogist Sunny Morton didn't even know someone was missing from her family tree until a single mention in an obituary led her to a Nun.

Sister Mary Bertilla. This single name sparked a search that revealed a remarkable woman who dedicated herself to faith and service. Her story, preserved in convent archives and captured in a touching obituary, opens a window into an extraordinary life of quiet sacrifice.

Across the U.S., more than 350,000 Women Religious - sisters and nuns - have left their stories in forgotten archives. These women's quiet contributions deeply shaped our nation. Though they may have no descendants to search for them, their records hold precious family connections waiting to be discovered.
📝 Visit the companion blog post at CristaCowan.com/blog to learn more about how this story connects to your own story.

Stories That Live In Us - This Gathering Place (with Shelly Cowan) | Episode 6

Transcript

Speaker 100:00:03.104

I'm sure the first few times it was a joke or a way to like embarrass a kid who was like a young , like tween , who like doesn't want to hear about those things and to share it .

Speaker 200:00:14.471

But now it's like turned into okay , we got to tell the story

Speaker 200:00:19.864

stories that live in us is a podcast that