When simple becomes seriously complicated

Margaret’s first contact came with a warning: ‘Mrs. Delgado has been saving everything since 1987.’ Everything, it turns out, includes every community newsletter, church bulletin, school program, and neighborhood association flyer that mentions any local family. Including mine.

When simple becomes seriously complicated

Two hours into our first coordination meeting and my coffee table looks like a historical society exploded. Mrs. Delgado brought three boxes. Carmen’s aunt Rosa contributed two more filled with photographs from community events spanning four decades. And somewhere in this beautiful chaos are mentions of Abuela Rosa’s recipes in a 1994 church cookbook fundraiser that I never knew existed.

The best part? This is just the beginning. Margaret mentioned five more families who’ve expressed interest in joining the network. Each one probably has their own version of ‘I’ve been saving everything.’

When you realize your ‘simple family project’ just became a full-time research position

Jake walked in from work, took one look at the living room, and asked if I needed a bigger apartment or a smaller project. The answer is probably both, but I’m too deep in cross-referencing timelines to care about practical concerns right now.