Fill in the blanks: How asking questions about the past moves us forward

We often learn to live with "blanks", whether they're family mysteries, gaps in knowledge, or memories that have been lost.

But there is a lot to be gained from filling the empty spaces in our personal histories. This week on Now or Never, meet people who are digging into the past to do the sometimes messy, often rewarding, always vulnerable work of filling in the blanks.

When Scarlett Fonseca opened her Winnipeg mailbox two weeks ago she had no idea she'd be part of a fifty-year old mystery that brought Karen Mueller closure.

The trauma of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda left big holes in Jackie Batsinduka's family history that for a long time were too painful to fill in. Jackie sits with her mother Christine Kayirangwa to fill in the gaps.

Two years into his sobriety, Sid is still trying to piece together the memories he lost to alcohol addiction — but along the way, he's found hope. (Note: we've agreed to withhold Sid's name to protect his children. If you or somebody you know is struggling with alcohol addiction, you can find resources and support here.)

When you've been in a relationship with someone for years you might think you know everything about them. Chuck Ibezimako is weeks into his first trip home to Nigeria with his partner Kirsten Neil and they're both filling in a lot of blanks about each other along the way.

Marvin Delorme was born in Muskeg River, Alta. but soon found himself disconnected from his family and culture in his teenage years. Marvin brings us into the magic room at the Vancouver Public Library where he has spent hours tracing his family history using the Connection to Kith and Kin service, which helps Indigenous people look for records of their ancestry.

This episode originally aired in November 2021.