New friends
For not the first time, a groovy-looking parcel arrived in our mailbox from a certain address across the ocean. In it, letters to my daughters from their new friend / pen pal, whom we all are sure is a lovely young lady all around:
My girls are absolutely children of the 21st century, by way of preferring electronic communication to the archaic and time-consuming pen and paper. However, upon receiving these letters and notes, my twelve-year-old couldn’t reach the stationery drawer quickly enough. She was all about getting to a letter of reply now.
Okay, it may be that the allure of something other than studying for the next day’s science test was enough, but she could have let anything else occupy her for that brief time. She freely chose to write back.
How do you like that?
I can’t help but smile at the ease with which these children, who haven’t met (and likely won’t meet?), carry on a conversation via the post. Innocent, warm, natural, friendly – it’s as if they’ve been close friends for years. Say what you will about the decline of real letter writing, amid our constant exposure to emails and tweets and status updates (and, yes, blog posts…), but there’s still something special about a handwritten note, maybe on special paper, and maybe even with drawings. That something special is not lost on these three young ladies.
So, even in 2013, the art of letter writing is alive and well for those of us willing to go to the effort, and that’s a happy notion. Even better, though, is that through that medium my girls are happily making new friends – no matter that this one is some three or four thousand miles away; really, that makes it all the more special.
Wonderful post, Sid! I love seeing young people making friends with those of another culture. In their small way, they are making this big world a little smaller.
February 13, 2013 at 1:15 pm
Yes! Isn’t this the coolest? The world is such that it’s easier to do this now than it ever has been, but it’s still a remarkable thing to me.
February 19, 2013 at 12:37 pm
We’re hearing so many people bemoan the passing of letter writing or cheer its resurrection. It’s the kids of your children’s generation who need to acquire the skill and excitement of the art otherwise it will disappear. Lovely post and hope they can keep the momentum up!
February 13, 2013 at 1:17 pm
I hope they can sustain the momentum as well. But if not, it’s still fun in the meantime.
February 19, 2013 at 12:38 pm
It’s what postage stamps were made for.
I sometimes debated with myself on whether my kids should stick their noses in their studies, which they really didn’t want to do, or get stuck into a ‘self decided – have to do now’ job with real enthusiasm, a job which I knew wasn’t going forward with the homework but one I could see had real benefit to their development – but I invariably came down in favour of letting do their thing (never pc games, skate boarding and the like).
February 13, 2013 at 1:39 pm
This is too fun. I had a pen pal once, and it was a blast getting letters from her!
February 13, 2013 at 1:43 pm
This story warms my heart. I loved pen pal correspondence as a kid and am thrilled to know it is alive an well.
February 13, 2013 at 8:54 pm
This really brings back memories for me. At the age of 12, I hooked up with a pen pal, via a teen magazine. My new friend was so unlike me… same age, but from Flint, Michigan, went to rock concerts with her sisters, had pierced ears, had been allowed to color her hair and wore the most fashionable clothes of the time. I was a simple girl who lived in a small, rural town in Nebraska. My parents would not allow me to pierce my ears until I was 13, and attending a rock concert was definitely out of the question! No one I knew colored their hair (not even my mom) and I didn’t have a closet full of fancy clothes like Kim did. I envied her. I think eventually she became bored with me… and at some point she quit writing. I still found it an exciting experience, and was thankful to have understanding of what her life was like.
Sid, this is a wonderful post. Your daughters will never forget this wonderful girl. Even if they part ways and never meet, or if things don’t work out (as in my case – I was too boring), it is still an enlightening experience.
February 13, 2013 at 9:53 pm
Wonderful!
At first, I thought they had gotten the letters from Ziggy. Have they contacted her yet?
February 14, 2013 at 1:27 am
Awww! Cuteness overload! This reminded me of when I was 12 or 13 or so and had a couple of pen pals….one of them lived somewhere in the US (I can no longer recall where exactly, though I once had her postal address memorized) and her name was Vicky Estes. The other was German…her name was Andrea. Can’t tell you how delightful it was to connect with these girls in faraway places…so I know exactly how your daughters must feel
Such a heartwarming post. Thank you so much for sharing!
February 14, 2013 at 5:08 am
I still write letters and cards! I love doing it!
February 15, 2013 at 11:10 am
Lovely story,Sid. As a headteacher, I was heavily into IT. Some parents said, ” be careful, the children will never learn how to write with a pen!” “Rubbish,” I replied, ” pen and paper have magical qualities that will NEVER fade.”
February 17, 2013 at 4:18 pm
I also love the feel of the hand-written note, and the notion that it is even more special among all the e-writings out there. It’s great to hear that pen pal friendships still exist as well!
February 20, 2013 at 10:16 pm
Oh I loved this post, Sid, and you’re right, nothing can beat a good old-fashioned handwritten letter. Oh and the thrill of one bearing foreign stamps!
March 16, 2013 at 4:02 am