Letters From Across Thousands Of Miles

Has any one of you grown up with lots of penpals? Well, I had. And it was the most enriching experience I ever had, especially in an era where there were no emails, no Facebook, no Whatsapp, no text messages, no mobile phones! (And now everyone knows just how ancient I am!)

I used to spend my days writing to my penpals from all over the world. There were Catherine from London, Ly from San Diego, Merey and Cindi from Singapore, and a whole lot of others from Argentina, Italy, etc. Till this day, I am still in touch with Merey, one of my first Singaporean penpals - albeit via Facebook!

In a realm where there was no internet, entire vistas and worlds opened up to me via letters from these distant shores. Different voices. Different cultures. Different personalities. All with one common love - writing.

So, when Big Bee started corresponding with her very first penpal from the United States, I was elated. Thanks to my dear friend, Jeanne, who made the initial introduction between the daughter of her very close penpal and Big Bee.

The journey had begun. The pathways had opened. They had exchanged 2 letters thus far, and Big Bee is now intrigued by another little girl in a faraway land, learning about different yet similar lifestyles, writing about her daily experiences with fresh perspectives.

For me, I am a mere bystander, observing with silent contentment that spark of expectation in Big Bee's eyes when I went to collect the mail, that sprightly spring in her gait as she jaunted up to receive that attractive letter in my hand, that glimmer in her eyes and that flash of brilliance in her smile as she opened up the envelope to read her letter. Oh, how well I remember that anticipation, that expectation! Snail mail is much more thrilling and scintillating than emails anytime!

And I hope this will be a lifelong voyage for her.