Pen Pal Friendships

That evening, I wrote a letter to Rosie, and the long wait for a return letter began. I finally received a letter in October that read: “I got your letter dated on the month of May. I have a terrific confession to tell you. My name is not Rosie Alota, it is Donald Rico. I didn’t know my cousin put my name as Rosie Alota, so I hope you forgive me.”

We exchanged a few letters within the next year, then he told me he wouldn’t be able to write very often because he was busy with church and school activities. He ended each letter with “P.S. Write soon, God Bless you and family. Always, your pel pal and Aloha.”

I have five letters – each with a 6-cent airmail stamp – and a picture of Donald that have been tucked away safely for more than 50 years.

Although we only shared a brief part of our lives, I smiled as I read those letters today, and wondered how Donald’s life has turned out.

Carolyn - Sutherland, Iowa

Loves Writing To Youngsters

My love for writing letters started many, many years ago. My mom had beautiful handwriting and was a great letter writer. Back in those days, letters were the most common way to communicate, as long-distance phone calls were expensive.

My brothers – five of them – were all in the service, and I wrote to them often.

So it was only natural for me to want to volunteer to be a pen pal. I now belong to RSVP, which stands for Retired Senior Volunteer Program. Each year, a different school in the county is chosen, and volunteers are assigned a pen pal. The students are usually in fourth or fifth grade, and we correspond with them throughout the school year.

It’s fun to get to know these youngsters and learn things about their lives. Some are chatty, while others are not.

One year, I wrote to a boy who was definitely “a man of few words.” I didn’t know so many questions could have one-word answers until I met him.

I worked for 30 years in the school cafeteria, so one of my favorite questions to ask my young pen pals is what their favorite lunch is. Pizza, hamburgers and fries, and hot dogs seem to be the top responses.