Pen Pals

Re the June 18 letter from Victor Finch, of Kent, England: In 1946 a pen-pal service was encouraged from the Pasadena city schools to various parts of Europe and Great Britain, no doubt to encourage world understanding. As a 7-year-old I began a correspondence with a young man in Yorkshire, Barry Cutler, which lasted several years; our mothers exchanged Christmas cards.

In 1962 my mother visited them on her first overseas trip, caught up on all the family news, and the two families resumed their correspondence.

In 1980 my pen-pal’s sister and husband visited us for two weeks here in Orange County, and in 1982 my husband and I took three of our four children to England where we spent three weeks as their guests.

Imagine the emotional greeting which awaited me in Devon, where Barry had moved, when he greeted me with open arms after 35 years of long-distance friendship.

Since then we have welcomed members of the youngest generation here to America and have forged strong family bonds. All of this is a result of my drawing a special piece of paper out of a box with the name of my pen pal.

It may not be a record for long-distance correspondence, but the lasting influence of those who in 1946 tried to promote world friendship finds its best example between our two families.

LOIS EVEZICH

Fountain Valley