The art of letter writing has had a profound influence on my life. As a New York City native who grew up living in an apartment, I had the good fortune to acquire a pen pal from Miltonvale, Kansas. Deirdre, also eleven years old, grew up on a one thousand acre farm and was raised by a family of multi-generational family farmers. We exchanged letters, photographs, and films for about a year and a half, and then, my family and I were invited to stay with Deirdre and her family on her farm for a week! We all flew out to Kansas, and my entire family had the pleasure of not only making new friends, but of being exposed to a lifestyle that none of us could fathom. Wide open spaces, milking cows, farm equipment, kittens in a barn, the sound of silence, dinner at the Elks Club, were all foreign experiences until that trip. The following year, Deirdre and her family traveled to New York City for a week and I can assert with confidence that they too were exposed to a completely foreign lifestyle! First off, we had to rent hotel rooms for our families to stay in as there was no room for everyone in our small apartment; then, there were the New York City subway rides that they found absolutely frightening, and the noises of the City at night that left them sleepless in the morning. However, they also got to visit the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, and Coney Island. All in all, two families from completely different backgrounds, shared the opportunity to learn from each other and to build a bridge of friendship. This was all due to the art of letter writing….

If you too love to write letters and receive mail, spend some time in Paper Lane Stationery & Gifts, too!, located in LaCenterra between Otto’s Hamburger and The Wine Next Door. They have a wonderful selection of stationary, notepads, invitations, cards, notebooks, and anything else that has to do with paper! After all, every aspect of your selection speaks about who you are, and may lead to a profound moment in your life.

Paper Lane Stationery & Gifts, too!
23501 Cinco Ranch Boulevard
Katy, Texas 77494
281-395-0010