My Favorite Pen Pal

Auntie Pat is my favorite pen pal.  Yesterday I shared some intimate details about my relationship with her, but they are a small fraction of why she is and will always be my favorite pen pal.


For as far back as I can remember, Auntie Pat has been my most favorite person.  She is my Godmother, my friend, my confidant, my security blanket, my role model. To say I simply love her would be a gross understatement of the depth and breadth of my feelings.  I don't have enough words to tell you all about it. And she's my Aunt by marriage, not by blood.


For a majority of my youth she lived in Europe, stationed in England and Germany.  I've been told that when I was an infant she lived in New Hampshire, but I only remember her living far, far away.  Europe, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico and now Colorado.


I don't know why I bonded to her the way that I did even though for many years she was more an idea in my mind than an actual person.  I simply wanted to be her.  Cook like her, hug like her, talk like her and listen like her. She was more than human, she was an untouchable saint.


Yesterday I said that my letters to her got me through some of the worst times of my life.  I know that and I try to repay that with mail in return.  These last few years she's been going through some crappy, crappy things and I have mailed and mailed and mailed.  And she has loved it. I've been known to send her $30 worth of 4x6 pictures (that's a lot of pictures).  It's how I keep her informed on all the things I've been doing, the goings on in the family here, my travels and my day to day mundane.  And much to my surprise I got a letter back telling me she hung a bunch of them up in her house!


A few months ago she had major surgery.  I could have sent a $50 flower arrangement and she would have loved it.  Instead, like any mail fan, I spent more than $50 on get well cards and encouragement cards from Hallmark and I mailed her a card every other day for weeks.  I even sent one of those awesome "Big Time Greetings". Twice.  Early last week I got a nice, long letter from her telling me that she had done something special with all of those cards, but she didn't say what.  I am hoping to finally get out to visit her and see what she's talking about because that same letter included a long awaited invitation for company.


I've saved every postcard, note, letter and birthday card she has ever sent me.  I treasure them and I honor the tangible legacy of our relationship and bond that they are.  I love that I have them to look back on and look forward to for decades to come.