“Famlet” is an unimaginative portmanteau, short for “family letter.” The origin of these letters traces back some 40 years to my adolescence and specifically to my paternal grandmother (*see below) who, in exchange for paying for half of our piano lessons (and later for significant portions of our college education and Latter-day Saint missions and probably other things I was never made aware of) asked that each of her grandchildren write her a monthly letter so she’d know what we were up to.
It was not an unreasonable request in retrospect, but it seemed like one when I was a kid Consequently, I complied with it only sporadically, i.e., when my parents gave me grief about it, which wasn’t that often.
In 1998, however, four years after getting married and two years after becoming a father, I had an epiphany of sorts and finally started writing my grandmother the monthly letters she’d asked for all my life.
I mailed (seriously, actual U.S. Mail, with stamps and everything) copies of the letters to my parents and maternal grandparents as well. My mother suggested that other family members might be interested too, so I started an email distribution that quickly grew to several dozen relatives, some of whom I’ve never actually met, and most of whom almost certainly never read it. When a close relative, however, asks me a question that betrays his failure to keep up with the Famlet, my response invariably begins with, “As I wrote in my letter…”. One of many reasons I am not the most popular person in my family.
The letters have become less informative and at times more sarcastic since Grandma Willis’s passing in November 2001. But for reasons I don’t care to analyze, I keep writing them.
Grandma Willis was my last surviving grandparent. It’s possible that she (and my other grandparents, who died in 1997, 1999, and 2001) have internet access where they are, but probably not. And even if they do, I expect (and hope) they have better things to do than to read my monthly letters.
And so the letters now go to my children, their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins…and anyone else who stumbles onto this website. I like to think Grandma Willis would be proud of me.
*My paternal grandfather (following the examples of his father-in-law, George J. Cannon, and George J. Cannon’s father-in-law, Heber J. Grant) was probably the driver behind paying for piano lessons, missions, and college, and such. I imagine he read my letters, too, but let’s face it, Grandma was the inspiration.
