Penpal encounter ‘like meeting a lost relative’

Army penpals keen to meet up with their correspondent could find they feel familiar when they first encounter each other.

This was the sentiment expressed by Bronwen Layfield from Australia, who met up with her penpal of 36 years earlier this week, the Courier-News reports.

She and Glenna Godinsky from Chicago, US, began writing to each other when they were eight years old and have stayed in touch ever since.

But when they arranged a face-to-face meeting, it was the first time they had ever actually seen one another in person.

"It's like meeting a long-lost relative," Ms Layfield said.

And Ms Godinsky has saved every letter she received, choosing to keep the documents tucked away in a folder that she planned to share with her correspondent in person.

A similar tale was recently reported by the Manawatu Standard, which revealed two penpals from Germany and New Zealand recently rekindled their friendship more than 60 years after they first got in touch with each other.

Posted by Trevor Smith