In these modern times, keeping in touch overseas isn’t what it used to be. We have all sorts of technology to keep us connected and in touch with each other regardless of distance. We can send packages, photos, videos, and messages over large bodies of water, desert, and forest, as long as we have wifi or a mail carrier. It’s pretty remarkable how small we’ve made the world.
For so many years, we didn’t have these luxuries–and let’s not forget how much of a luxury it is. To be able to communicate with the flip of a laptop or the swipe of your smartphone, we are so connected all the time. Let’s rewind for a minute, to a time when pen to paper was the norm. Snail mail was the only mail and waiting longer than 3 seconds (more like 3 weeks) was just a part of everyday life! A time when things were slower and done with more effort and care.
Paulette Thibault from St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, USA, has been writing to her pen pal Jean Hall in Aberdeen, Scotland, for decades–a span of 65 years, to be exact! The women started writing to each other in grade 5 as a part of the English penmanship writing class. Only girls at the time, they would exchange coins and stamps along with letters talking about their school days, and dances, growing up and the opposite sex!
“As we got older, the idea of meeting someday really kept us going,” says Paulette. The two women did lose contact for a while, as they were both starting their families, but that didn’t last long. “Anything Paulette said to me, I seemed to relate to it. Even though we stayed in different countries, we just seemed to connect,” says Jean.
Paulette and Jean both suffered the loss of a child and found a form of solace in each other knowing that they had suffered through the same trauma. They bonded over the years, openly sharing their life stories about everything they’ve gone through. It’s only now, 65 years later, that these two lifelong friends are about to meet in person, in America. “I’m not concerned at all about getting along with her, because I feel like she’s a sister.” It’s a truly beautiful meeting and both women are blown away that it’s actually happening as they go through old letters and sift through memories, finally together and in person!
Click below to watch the tearful moment they meet.
