You know, there's something to be said for handwritten letters. Have I said that a time or two? LOL! I know, I have. Forgive me. It might sound a bit old-fashioned, but there is something in a handwritten note, letter, or card that can't quite be conveyed in the same way when you're writing an email or putting a note on a Facebook wall. When you see someone's handwriting, you get a sense of their personality. You can see whether they were rushed when they wrote the letter, whether their hand shook, or if they made a mistake and crossed it out.
One reason it's so interesting to have a pen pal, which people don't as much today as they once did, is because it's a very different experience in getting to know someone. It isn't the same as the online friends we have, although online friendships do share certain characteristics with pen pals.
I just came across this fabulous story about a 50-year friendship that started out as a pen pal assignment when both girls were in their teens. Not only are the two ladies friends, they live on completely different continents. Thirteen-year old Sandra Schnell first wrote to 14-year old Sumiko Nishimura, who lived in Osaka. They kept up the correspondence, and estimate that they have "exchanged more than 800 letters, 50 years' worth of Christmas gifts and birthday presents, visited each other in their home countries several times and continue to foster a lifelong friendship."
Isn't that fabulous? I love stories like that. They said one reason they feel they have remained friends is that they have similar interests. That's so important in a friendship. Plus, I'd imagine that their different locations and childhood experiences also keep things interesting. And this part I love most of all. They " both ask their respective post offices for the prettiest stamps for their letters, adding more personal touches of their letters, something that can't be done with e-mail."
That is so true. While most of us won't have an experience like this, we can at least send a nice letter or note card to a friend once in a while. This small touch can really make a friend feel important.