The other day when I was loading the dishwasher in our summerhouse I came to think of an activity we have done with my side of the family which I am very grateful for. Namely; Family Conferences. I thought it would be nice to devote this post to these Family Conferences, which I like to call Connection Conferences.

I wish I was the founder of the grand idea of The Connection Conference but the honor goes to my parents. I actually don’t know if they came up with the idea originally or if they got inspired from somebody else. In any case, it is an idea worth spreading. Every person I have told the story of our conferences have thought it an incredible thing (albeit a little odd). Growing up, my family would often travel around Sweden during our vacations. My parents would rent a cabin or we would stay at a hostel or hotel in a new town every year. It was a great way of experiencing my beautiful country and having a wonderful time with my parents and siblings. This tradition has continued and we still travel somewhere in Sweden every year, even though my siblings and I are grown up and have families of our own. During these vacations we do all kinds of things such as sightseeing, hiking, restaurant visits etc. And of course The Connection Conference. The tradition has been around for more than ten years in my family.

So, what is a Connection Conference? What happens is we book a conference room at the hotel we are staying at. A real conference room. The hotel staff is always amused by this. We usually have it for a whole afternoon with a break for Fika (Of course!). During the conference each and every one of us have the opportunity to share something with the rest of the family. It can be anything, and I mean anything. It is mainly to provide a forum for connection and we bring the content. Over the years we have shared so much joy, new knowledge and deeper insights in each other’s lives thanks to these conferences. A lecture on the health risks of a sedentary lifestyle, what my sister really do at her job, quizzes, games, a bake off led by my niece and personal experiences of different kinds are some examples of themes we have covered. It is not mandatory to talk or to lead a session. Some conferences a few of us might just participate and listen.  

For my own part, here are some of my topics over the years:

• A talk about my Christian faith
• A lecture on The Fermi Paradox
• Sharing insights into my previous job when working with Anti-discrimination and Human Rights.
• Communication skills
• Leading a short fantasy roleplaying session with the whole family

These Connection Conferences is really something I can recommend. It doesn’t have to be with the family, why not with a couple of friends or colleagues? The conference can of course be structured in different ways and is not dependent on the room, it can be held anywhere. It doesn’t matter what you call it, be it Family Conference, Funference or Connection Conference it is a way, and a fun way, to explore knowledge and new areas in life. It is also a great way to practice public speaking if that is something you avoid.

We need more connection in our lives. Even with the people we are closest to. We can share many things with other people but sometimes we need a time and place to do it. If we create opportunities and encourage each other to share we connect in many ways. Learning is growing. I hope you will have many Connection Conferences in your life!

Stay healthy!

/Hydén