When I was a young teenager at church we used to get a weekly magazine/pamphlet called The Junior Guide. In it was a list of other teenagers from all over the world who were wanting penpals. At one time I had several from the Philippines, Libya, Iceland, and various ones across America.
Sadly, I am afraid that the art of writing letters is a dying art, although I do make an effort. Not as much as I should, but I do try!
About two and a half years ago, as I was once again struggling to lose weight, I logged onto the Dr. Atkins website and signed up. Free of charge, of course! But it gave me access to recipes, the ability to track and follow my progress, blog, and meet other members.
Thus I met Amanda.
We have chatted quite alot online, I shared recipes, and we shared bits and pieces of our lives. Then we discovered we were both on Facebook, so we switched over so we could get to know each other better.
Lately we have been chatting about talking on a real phone, but for that I would need a landline, which I don't have. And then the lightbulb came on! She could call me at work! Today! Because everyone was going to be out of the office for a birthday luncheon.
Well, as luck would have it, the birthday luncheon was cancelled, but most everyone was out of the office when Amanda called. We talked for an hour and it was delightful! We discovered we shared a lot of similar stories about our childhood and our mothers (could they be sisters?).
We also both struggle with our weight, so we encourage each other when we hit those rough patches in life.
She is from London but now lives in Bordighera, Italy...
...about 30 minutes from Monte Carlo.
She has 3 brothers and two sisters, and a bunch of nieces and nephews who adore her! Her "children" are Tara and Tess, two beautiful black labs.
Finally the hour was up and we had to end our conversation; but what a great time we had!
We meet so many people throughout our lives. Sometimes they are only here for a short time; sometimes they are here forever. There is a reason for it!
As for all those penpal communiques over the years, well, writing letters is fun, and you have this wonderful piece of tangible history to hang onto forever. Nowadays online communication provides immediate gratification and information is instantaneous. They each have their place. Cherish them. And communicate more. Never be afraid to say what is on your mind or in your heart. It helps bring you closer to each other. And listen. You never know what you can learn from them.
So Amanda, welcome to my world and to my family. I am honored you have come along for the ride! Thank you for agreeing to be my electronic penpal and an important part of my life!
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