Let's Be Pen Pals

When I was a kid, my best friend and I decided to become pen pals. 

We went to the same school. We only lived a few blocks away from one another. We even had sleepovers nearly every-other-weekend. Still, the idea of receiving mail from each other was the most exciting thing ever.

^{Spiritual side note: this is how I know that this particular friend is one of my soulmates. Our relationship was built on a foundation of deep connection from the time we were five years old. I’ll never forget the first time I saw her on the first day of kindergarten – it was like my soul recognized her, like we already knew each other from lifetimes passed.}

Did you ever have a pen pal? Or someone who sent you letters in the mail? Do you remember how special it was to receive a hand-written letter with your name on it? Having my best friend as a pen pal is one of my favorite memories from childhood.

As we grew older, when I would spend the summers at my abuela’s house in Venezuela, and she took trips to visit her extended family in Michigan, our pen-pal-by-mail thing became a pen-pal-by-email thing. We would send notes of all lengths back and forth across the ether, keeping in touch over distances far greater than just a few blocks.

The transition to middle school was tough for me, though, because she went to one school, and I went to another. In that time period, we decorated a notebook with magazine clippings and bits of our own art, and began taking turns with it – like “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.” The notebook was traded back and forth between us when we got together on the weekends. In it, we would share our experiences regarding our respective schools: the new friends we were making, the boys we liked, the challenges we faced, and the new things we adapted to.

Eventually, we did grow out of our pen-pal phase, though. We were growing up, and as we reached high school, we were reunited in the same hallways at the same school.

With time, however, we began to grow apart. In adulthood, we went our separate ways. Still, I think of her often. And thanks to social media, we can still peek in on each others lives from time to time. When she was pregnant with her first child, I decided to send her a handwritten note, reminiscing about our years as pen pals, and thanking her for the years we spent together in this lifetime. Later that year, she sent me a birthday gift in response. No note accompanied it, but the gift itself said everything; and it now lives in a special place in my home.

There’s still a part of me that yearns for connection in this way. A part of me who wants to write down the words in my heart and share them with someone else who will read them with care. I think that’s the real reason I started this newsletter.

My initial intention for this particular email was to talk about the magic of receiving thoughtful notes and letters from real people – people you connect with – but by now, it’s turned into a look at my own history with writing and personal connection. I hoped you enjoyed it anyway. And if you are someone who does open and read these emails, my soul truly thanks you.

Let’s stay in touch.

I would love nothing more than to be your “pen pal” of sorts. If you ever have thoughts you want to share, words in your heart, or you just need someone to hear you – please feel free to write to me. Although I may not always respond, know that I will always read your words with care, and it would truly warm my heart.

Xoxo,

Let’s