Pen Pals

Nowadays, we communicate so quickly. Email, phone (obviously), texting, Facebook, Twitter; hell think of Skype!  We can talk and have friends (more like acquaintances but that's still OK) all over the world.

My mother and (i think) my Aunt Nancy had pen pals especially during and after WW2, mostly forced on them by my Grandmother who had (or started) something called The World Friend's Club.  They wrote letters and occasionally exchanged small gifts.  It actually is a great idea.  I think Gammie's reasoning was we get to know the world one person at a time.  I had some pen pals, mostly people I knew from camps I had gone to in Junior High and High School.  I corresponded for a short time with my Freshman year college roommate, Miwa from Japan. Yes, Mia and Miwa.  Someone had a sense of humor.

In my 30s, in the back of Royalty magazine, I found a notice from a person in Singapore who was looking for a Pen Pal. I wrote her, she wrote me back and it's been going on with mostly notes and gifts ever since.  Asiah doesn't have email and isn't on Facebook so yes, we still do it the old fashioned way....snail mail!

I don't think anything will replace the excitement of getting something that ain't a damn bill in the regular mail!  A letter is particularly precious, I think.  They take time.  Yesterday an envelope from Asiah arrived and in it were pictures of her daughter's wedding.  Wedding???  Her daughter (Yasmine) got married???  Holy Crap!

I've seen some brides in my time.  Between being in the wedding, being one myself twice, photographing a couple of dozen, and singing at the ceremony and most especially the receptions I can honestly say I have seen HUNDREDS of brides.  It is no exaggeration.  Probably somewhere between five and six HUNDRED brides have passed before my eyes.  Yasmine is my Top Two of the most beautiful brides I have EVER seen.  (My niece of course is Number One!)

I hope this guy treats her like a Queen, like a Goddess, because she sure as hell looks like one! Judge for yourself. I hope he treats my friend as his "belle mere" with kindness and respect and love too.

By the way, Asiah and I have never met.  We have talked on the phone once or twice over the years.