ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
In a world often ruled by screens and scrolling, we sometimes forget how nice it can be to just sit down with paper and pen to write an old-fashioned letter. Well, now we have a story about two unlikely pen pals - 17-year-old high schooler Michelle Liu from McLean, Virginia, and her 80-year-old friend, Sue Miller.
SUE MILLER: I think you were 3.
MICHELLE LIU: Yeah.
MILLER: We met at our church, White Chapel UMC. And we had a meeting room. I was kind of fearless. I would just meet people, and you were real shy. You were standing by your mom by the doughnut table. So that's really how we met.
LIU: That's Sue. We met when I was 3 at church, and she soon became like a grandma to me and my whole family. In the beginning, I drew her pictures, and we wrote letters to each other. When I was 9, my family moved from Texas to Washington, D.C., and we slowly became pen pals. We've been writing to each other consistently for the past eight years, and I have two shoeboxes full of her letters. We don't talk much on the phone, but I wanted to call her up to let her know how much her pen pal friendship meant to me and to also hear her side of our story.
Do you have the letters I sent to you over the years?
MILLER: Oh, yes. I have a box.
LIU: OK. Shall we read some?
MILLER: Sure.
(Reading) Dear Sue, how has your day been going? I just had my roller skate show. I had a lot of fun fishing with Bill (ph). We were very happy when I caught a medium fish for the first time. We were all looking for the fish. Next up, piano show. Michelle.
LIU: (Reading) Dear Michelle, happy birthday. This cute hedgehog or porcupine is loaded with a bouquet of flowers to help you celebrate being 12. If only we could ride on his back and surprise you for your birthday. We hope your day is as awesome as you are. Enjoy every minute. Cherish your family and friends and make beautiful memories. We certainly cherish so many memories with you in our Texas life.
MILLER: I'm glad to be reminded of that.
LIU: (Reading) Dear Michelle, happy birthday. You are a treasure. We treasure you and your friendship. We have made so many memories together. One of my favorite was the butter churning with Mina (ph) and Nicole (ph).
MILLER: When Nicole came.
LIU: Yes. Yeah.
MILLER: Churned the butter, and I kept baking rolls. And I realized later, maybe that night, that we didn't actually have dinner.
LIU: (Laughter).
MILLER: We just had rolls and butter, and I think raspberries (laughter).
LIU: It was a good time (laughter).
MILLER: It was a good time. I'll always remember that.
LIU: I want to end with why you inspire me.
(Reading) Letters, I feel like, are a wonderful way to have someone close even when they are far away. It's kind of crazy to think about how many letters we have sent to each other these past seven or eight years since I moved to Washington, D.C. And I think through being pen pals, you have inspired me to stay connected with other people, regardless of how far two people can be. Sometimes it's hard to feel grounded in such a digital world we live in, but letters are such a tangible way to feel connected. And so I just wanted to thank you for so many years of friendship, not only for me but for our whole family.
MILLER: And I thank you for all the letters because I think what you just said is so very true. But I'll read this poem.
(Reading) What matters? One hundred years from now, it will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, how much I had in my bank account, nor what my clothes looked like. But the world may be a little better because I was important in the life of a child.
You inspire me....
LIU: Oh, thank you.
MILLER: ...Unbelievably.
(SOUNDBITE OF TAY IWAR SONG, "REFLECTION STATION")
SHAPIRO: That story was originally produced by Michelle Liu, with support from Wyatt Mayes and Briget Ganske, for the "On Our Minds" podcast from the PBS News Student Reporting Labs.
(SOUNDBITE OF TAY IWAR SONG, "REFLECTION STATION") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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