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I have the great fortune of being part of a tight knit family. Like many Hispanic families this tapestry extends to aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. Since my move to the windy city I have realized how the power of modern technology has become an intricate part of maintaining this closeness. Years ago family members who were living in different parts of the country and the world were forced to communicate via Sunday night phone calls and hand written letters. These days email and free night time minutes have revolutionized the communication process. I agree with some when it comes to overuse. You know, that person in the supermarket line yelling into their cell phones for the whole world to hear, but when it comes to the tightly woven threads of family it is a plus. Email has become the tool of choice for my family. Family updates, get togethers, requests, and yes demands fly through our in boxes like birds overhead. They are frequent and impossible to ignore. Each email contains the personality of the one sending it. There's my comical uncle replying to a question with sarcasm. My take charge aunt listing what everybody should bring to the barbecue, and my mother who will not be ignored. Some of us fall into the category of tell me what to bring and what time. These are just a few examples of the characters that comprise my family. Then there are the serious emails. The family issues that need to be addressed. A family member who needs our support. The updates on cousins fighting for our country, new pregnancies, and new adventures. The emails are daily with one or two responding to a question that has been asked. My patch of the family quilt extends to Chicago. I along with my sister in California am physically removed from the family. The core remains in Dallas, along with the heart of it all, my grandparents. They recently jumped onto the email bandwagon. I realize that a phone call or a letter sent is more to their liking. However, email has kept me in constant contact with everybody. The family squabbles however big or small read like a Thanksgiving dinner conversation. The invention of email has gotten some people in trouble. They get fired from their jobs for accidentally sending a remark to everyone in the company when it was meant for one person. Pictures that are sent for one persons eyes are intercepted for all to see.However with all this the fact of the matter simply remains , for me at least, that it has kept my family as tight as ever. I look forward to seeing them when I log on to my computer. With one swift click of the reply all button I am back in Dallas at a family barbecue conversing as if I never left.