My story!

The Pen Pals

"Dear Rachel, How are you doing? I am good…" Violet read out loud the letter that she was writing to her pen pal, Rachel. “I hope she gets this soon! I love to get letters back from her, but she has to get this one first!"

"Oh, Violet, dear, don’t worry. You will get something from one of your four pen pals soon I am sure," Violet's mother said as she walked into Violet’s room.

"Oh, I am sure I will, too, but I’m just not very patient, am I?" Violet said with a big smile.

"Well, you do need to realize that three of your pen pals live across the Atlantic Ocean and only one here in America."

"Yes, you’re right. I just enjoy getting things from them like Elsie my sister enjoys getting things from her friends in Arkansas.”

"I understand, dear. Well, I need to get supper on,” Violet’s mother said.

"Alright. I’ll go and put this out in the mailbox and come in and help you."

"Good girl!"
The letter
Later that evening after Violet's father went out to get the mail, he hollered, “Elsie, you got something from your friend!"

"Oh, yes! I’ve been expecting something!" Elsie said.

"Oh, joy! Is that all that’s in the mail?" Violet asked.

"No, there are some bills and, oh, what’s this? Something from Magdel!"

"You must be joking, Dad," Violet said in surprise.

"I’m not. Here it is," and with that Violet's dad put a letter down in front of her that had her name on it.

"Oh, you’re right!"

Violet ran to her room, plopped down in her bean bag, and read the letter. Then she went right to work on writing Magdel.
Still no letter
The next two weeks went by and Violet hadn’t received anything from any of her pen pals. She was very frustrated. "Mom, I haven’t received anything for two weeks," Violet complained to her mother on a bright sunny morning in March.

"Violet, you must be patient. You need some sun. Why don't you get your jacket and go outside with Elsie?"

"Oh, alright," Violet said as she went to the closet. As Violet went out she saw Elsie reading another letter. “Oh great, Elsie got another letter from her friends.”

Elsie, seeing the expression on her sister's face, said, "Sister, you always must remember what mother says. Three of your pen pals live far away and only one lives in America.”

"Yes, I know. Now please leave me alone. I’m going for a walk."

“Violet, let me come with you. I could knock some sense into my cute little sis.”

“Alright, you may come. But don’t start yelling at me, k?”

“I won’t yell at you!”

The talk from her sister
“Violet, you need to take this advice and think about it, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll think about it.”

“Rachel is in Mongolia, and Magdel and Joreth are in South Africa. They may not write back to you as soon as they get a letter like you do. You run to your room and start writing them back as soon as you’ve read the letter. They probably read your letter and then write a letter to you a little later. Do you get it now?”

Violet stopped walking and turned to her big sister and said, “I realize that. It’s just been hard. You get a letter every week from your friends and I don’t.”

“My friends write a lot. They will sit down and write as soon as they get a letter. At least it seems like it. Don’t worry, girl. You will get a letter - maybe just not as soon as I get letters from my girlfriends. Oh, I think you’ll survive! You do get letters pretty often from Leanna in Ohio, by the way!”

“I know I’ll survive! You might just have to live with a few complaints.”

“Oh, I don’t mind! Just not all the time, okay?”

“Okay!” Violet said as she hugged her sister.

“That’s good. Well, sis, I think you have learned your patience lesson.”

“You do? That’s good. Maybe I’ll understand that a little better now. Love you, Elsie!”

“Love you, too, Violet!”
She decides
“Mom, I’ve decided to just send letters of encouragement and be a good friend. Even if they do not reply as quickly as I want them to, I will still write them often! That way they can receive letters and know that I am here for them!” Violet announced.

“That sounds just fine! I know they’ll appreciate that. They are not as fortunate as we are. They may go through rough times. You already know Magdel has,” said Violet’s mother.

“Yes, mom, I know. I love my pen pals!”

“And I love you, Violet Ann!


This is my story that I wrote for the magazine I get!

I have four pen pals and their names are, Magdel, Joreth, Rachel, and Leanna!

See you all!

Luanna