Friends

If you've heard of the term Pen Pal then you are a minority in the world these days it seems.

With our lives full of instant messaging via twitter, facebook, Instagram and so many other social media sites, the days of putting pen to paper are well and truly over.

Can you remember writing about what was happening in your world and taking the time to really explain things properly, especially when you sometimes had weeks worth of your life to write about.

 When you were finally done and signed off with a flourish there was a  ceremonial sealing of the envelope (or the old thin, blue airmail paper), and wondering if you had forgotten anything that so desperately needed saying.

Once you had put that precious letter through the sometimes freaky and sinister looking post boxes, you knew it was out of your hands.  You could only then wait for a reply, sometimes months later before the whole cycle would begin again.

If you remember that then you might be interested in this story.

I would like you to meet my sisters.    

Liz on the left.  Sandy on the right.

Everyone I know recognises Sandy and thinks that she's my only sister because...well basically she is my only blood sister.

I also have another sister who has been a part of my life since I was 6 years old.

Sandy and Liz have been pen pals for 38 years.

On the left you have Liz.  She grew up in Yorkshire, England.  On the right you have Sandy.  She grew up in Queensland, Australia.  

Oh how I wish I had a photo of each of them at that age to show you but sadly I don't right at this minute.  (I may in the future.. be prepared girls!)

Through mutual aquaintances (thanks Aunty Alison on our side) and an introductory letter passing hands, I don't think either of these wonderful women realised at that age just how long their friendship would span. I have also just found out that Sandy still has the first letter she ever received from Liz.  How lovely and extraordinary is that!

Every part of their lives has been lived alongside each other, sometimes delayed depending on the postal service or just the reality of living your own life half a world away.  

The one constant is that they have always been friends and know that each of them are there for the other, if only in spirit when it's physically not possible to have a shoulder to cry on or a friend to laugh with.

 For me, Liz has always been a part of my life.  For as long as I can remember she has been mentioned and I can remember being so excited when a letter would turn up in the mail.  Not only would my sister get to hear from her friend but if I was lucky, she would let me know (or even READ..sQUeaL!)  the latest letter and I would get to hear about life on the other side of the world.  

The first time I met Liz was when I was 20.  Sandy had already had her first trip to the UK to meet Liz and her family a few years before that.  

I also have so many fond memories of the time she first came out to Australia.   I mainly remember putting her in a car and the three of us driving to Cooktown and back visiting the Great Barrier Reef and plenty of other places in between.  It was well over 4000 kilometres in total and many memories made along the way.  

Then 4 years later I had the amazing opportunity to travel to the UK with Sandy and got to not only see Liz again but to meet her family.

That was 20 years ago and even though Sandy has been to England numerous times  since then, this is the first chance I've had to catch up with my other sister.

She's out here with her partner and son who is a similar age to my two cherubs, so it's nice to see everyone catching up and a new generation mingling. 

For now I'll leave you with a photo that I will always cherish and that's with my sisters.  Plural.

Love you both and thank you so much for being incredibly amazing women and so much a part of my life for as long as I can remember.

I have Kleenex or Poise available, whichever is most appropriate at this time in our lives. 

xx Susan