Thank you Mr Postman!

From the age of about nine, I have always had penfriends, although now of course it is emails rather than letters which are exchanged.

My first penpal was Barbara, a lovely girl from Cambridge Maryland, and we corresponded for several years… and then one or other of us stopped writing. I was so sad to find out some years later that she had died in her twenties from leukaemia.  I had a Norwegian penfriend, Kjell for many, many years and I often wonder what happened to him and hope he  has  had a happy life. My longest-lasting penfriend was a Chinese boy called Eddie, and we wrote to each other for about fifteen years; he lived in Singapore and I had a memorable holiday there where it was lovely to meet him and spend time together.

I’ve had penfriends from all over the world, France, the Congo, the Phillipines, India, America, and many other places which I have now forgotten. It was always such a delight to arrive home and find a letter, or sometimes a parcel waiting on the mat for me…

I had a déjà vu moment today when I arrived home and was thrilled to find something waiting for me… not a letter, but a parcel…