Subscribe to our update list. A recent commercial shows a mother transporting her child through the Internet to Grandma. She's really emailing a picture of the grandchild. The ad demonstrates the boon that email has become to families separated by long distances. Letter writing is once again thriving not in the same style or format, but still there's a resurgence in personal communication.
Most families have email addresses for every member old enough to take advantage of email.
Zapping quick notes to friends and family, sharing pictures, jokes and Internet finds is common. There are other resources online that can bring families close together. At Yahoo Groups you can set up your own family mailing list. If everyone in your extended family subscribes, you can send email to the whole clan with one email. Yahoo Groups gives you a chat room where cousins can go chat without parents worrying about who else may be in the room.