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Across the Fence:  secret pals for fun  |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 25 2005 : 2:55:18 PM
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I just remembered something my friend in Calif and I did years ago. My son mentioned to me today that he never gets good mail (he does get letters from both grandmas and cousins but he didn't get anything TODAY) and it made me remember...
My friend Pattie has a son named Ricky..who is now 21 but was about 7 at this time..he complained that he never got mail so I decided to give him a secret pal..ME> now, he wouldn't have been too excited to have Aunt Jenny for a secret pal but he thought I was a kid. A girl..I gave little hints but we didnt' tell him until he was about 19 who it was all those years ago. He was so dissapointed that I wished I hadn't told him!!
What I did was write him a letter saying that I wanted to be his secret friend and said I see him sometimes at school and he looks really nice. I put a green ribbon in the envelope too, and told him that whenever he writes to me he needs to tie that ribbon on the mailbox flag and NOT put it up (this was so that my friend could get the letter and make sure it was addressed right and put a stamp on it if he didn't.) Well, we wrote back and forth for about 3 years and then I guess he outgrew me. I would send him Christmas cards after that and he would tell his mom he needed to write his secret pal but never did. It was so fun though..fun for me and his mom too! I would send a stick of gum, or a feather or a sticker that I thought he may like. Nothing big at all. I let him know I was a girl and that I had dark brown hair and that is all. I mostly asked him questions so he could answer. My mailman..who knew us both got such a kick out of it and would walk the letters from Ricky to the front door so he could see what he said in his letters. A fun memory to have.
Ricky is now in the Army and stationed in Iraq..and engaged to be married next year to his high school sweetheart. He turned out to be a great young man.
Jenny in Utah
The best things in life arn't things! |
Edited by - Aunt Jenny on Jul 25 2005 2:57:31 PM |
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QuiltingQueen
True Blue Farmgirl
104 Posts
Jane
La Porte
Indiana
USA
104 Posts |
Posted - Jul 25 2005 : 3:36:34 PM
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Jenny,
What a nice idea! I think it's great that you took the time to do such a kind thing for your friend's son!
I'll share a humorous story with you along similar lines. My sister new a family that lived around the corner from her that was raising their little grandson. She new that the grandparents were trying to raise the little boy on a fixed income, so she decided that it would be fun to be his "Secret Santa" to give him some extra surprises at Christmas. She didn't tell the grandparents because she didn't want to make them feel like they were being viewed as a charity situation. For three years, she bought and wrapped up children's books and new t-shirts and nice things that she thought would make great Christmas surprises and sent them through the local mail with "Santa" as the only return address. It brought her such joy and she never told anyone...not even me. Well, in November of the fourth year, the family talked to the local newspaper and told the reporter that they felt that their grandchild was being stalked by a demented individual. They were scared and had people stationed at the local post office to watch for anyone attempting to mail a package to their address! At that point, she called me and told me about the situation. She was absolutely amazed that the presents had caused such a problem! She had never wanted credit or a pat on the back, she just wanted to help a child in need. She never sent the presents again. And, at that point, she didn't feel she could tell the grandparents she had been the one sending the presents because she was afraid they would put her name in the paper and it could have hurt her family's business if they portrayed her as a nut case...which she is not. So, now my sister and I laugh whenever we hear the term "Secret Santa" and we think of the time that she unintentionally caused such a stir in her community at Christmas!
Jane |
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bubblesnz
True Blue Farmgirl
291 Posts
helen
New Zealand
291 Posts |
Posted - Jul 25 2005 : 9:07:16 PM
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Jenny, what a neat idea.It would have been so much fun.
QQ, It would never had entered my head, that the people receiving the pressies, would have thought that there was anything sinister behind it.
Isnt it a shame, that as a society, we now have to be so careful and cant always take things on face value.
Having read your piece,got me thinking, I can see however, that a pedifile or similair, could use "the secret friend" letter,as a way to latch onto kids. So I guess, even Santa could be mistaken as being corrupt.
Sadly not all parents are vigilant with what their children receive or do.
A great oak, is just a little nut which held it's ground. |
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citygoatlady
True Blue Farmgirl
82 Posts
82 Posts |
Posted - Jul 25 2005 : 10:17:09 PM
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My friend in her early mother years lived in a close community where everyone knew each other. They would customarily have secret friends. Part of the fun was trying to figure out who it was, because they all knew each other from childhood and before, and being rural, could see or hear of just who went up the road or on an errand or who had visited whom.
They would write notes, leave surprise packages, etc. But I don't know how they broke the secret, maybe at a party. Then I think they would pick new names and start over again.
I wonder if I could start that with a group of friends? It sounds like so much fun. |
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bramble
True Blue Farmgirl
2044 Posts
2044 Posts |
Posted - Jul 26 2005 : 2:25:13 PM
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Good heavens! An act of kindness taken to be a stalker! Bizarre and sad that our society makes people suspect such a pure act of generosity.
Here is a better secret santa story! A week before final exams when I was in college you could participate in Secret Santa for the week. You had to choose someone you didn't know well and find out things (secretly) about that person and make your gift appropriate. You also were not supposed to spend much if any money, more thoughtful or helpful things than purchased. It was alot of fun! My secret santa gave me an autographed picture adressed to me from the Phila. Eagles, a coupon to wash my car, a pine wreath made by them from things around the campus, and the best was a reserved drafting table in the studio for me to finish my final project for that whole week. I was amazed to find out my secret santa was this cute boy who had been in a few of my classes but I didn't know very well. He certainly found out about me and really made an effort.The final day of gifts you are to give the last gift to your secret santa and I was glad I had bought a bottle of champagne because he really deserved it! We later became friends and he married a great girl we both knew and he has been a contractor for us on some of my bigger projects, and our kids are all friends ! Who says an act of kindness doesn't affect anyone? Not me , that's for sure!
Jenny I love your story about Ricky! He was a lucky little boy to have a friend like his Aunt Jenny! The pleasure for you was the giving and for him the receiving, you can't argue with that!
with a happy heart |
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QuiltingQueen
True Blue Farmgirl
104 Posts
Jane
La Porte
Indiana
USA
104 Posts |
Posted - Jul 26 2005 : 7:40:43 PM
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Bramble,
What a nice secret santa story! What a great guy to help you get your final project finished. I love it when people do nice things for others with no expectation of recognition or reward. Inspires me to come up with some random acts of kindness...hmmm....I think I'll include a kindness in my agenda for tomorrow.
Jane |
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TexasFairy
Farmgirl at Heart
3 Posts
Zoe
San Antonio
Texas
USA
3 Posts |
Posted - Jul 29 2005 : 3:47:47 PM
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| It is unfortunate that such a good act was taken badly...however all of these stories are sweet enough to make me want to have a secret pal. |
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little feather
True Blue Farmgirl
83 Posts
Tawnya
Walnut Creek
California
USA
83 Posts |
Posted - Jul 29 2005 : 4:49:16 PM
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How bitter sweet.
Reading through these stories left tears in my eyes and a lump in my heart.
Aunt Jenny's story of helping a great boy become an even greater man!
Q.Q.'s sad story of kindness being taken so very wrong. How sad for the child. I am sure the gifts warmed his heart and he never would have thought any one other than Santa was giving them to him. It's sad to take that away from him.
Brambel's story is very sweet indeed, with another happy ending!
Thank you all for sharing!
Being new here- it does a heart good to "read" so much openness!
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost |
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The Farmers Daughter
Farmgirl in Training
46 Posts
Sherry
LeRoy
Kansas
USA
46 Posts |
Posted - Aug 01 2005 : 5:49:51 PM
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Reading all these wonderful notes made me think of something...In this day and age where everyone is so busy, wouldn't it be super if we could become a "secret pal" to someone? Personally, I love to send little "surprises" to people and if you don't know that someone it makes it all the better. Maybe someone on here could take a list of gals that would like to do this and then "asign" each one of us a pal (Course we'd have to know their name and address and them ours) or we could just be matched to one another for say six months. At the end of the six months we could be asigned another "pal". What a wonderful way to meet other country gals and share a little of our lives. Just a thought!
Sher, The Farmer's Daughter |
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little feather
True Blue Farmgirl
83 Posts
Tawnya
Walnut Creek
California
USA
83 Posts |
Posted - Aug 01 2005 : 8:39:51 PM
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Oh, Sher, I like that idea. It's along the lines of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Art- "warm fuzzies" through the mail.
Who doesn't like getting good mail- it's so rare these days.
I stay in contact with my Grandma in K.C. Mo. via "snail-mail". We do use e-mail once in awhile. But, we both know the value of a hand written note.
I was also thinking about maybe getting a group together that could send these "Mail Arts" to sick Children and our various local Children's Hospitals- or "secrect pal" letters full of brightness to cheer them up.
Recently my son and I started to make hand made toys and dolls to send to the Children's Hospitals. I know of a lot of connection that would help us get started if we wanted....
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost |
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Across the Fence: secret pals for fun |
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secret pals for fun
