Need a break from the gloom and doom of the current news cycle? If you’ll pause the cat videos you’ve been distracting yourself with, I’ve got a heartwarming story to share.

When I was nine years old and growing up in Dunedin, New Zealand, an international pen pal program connected me with a fellow nine-year-old in Chicago named Lisa. We sent each other photos, capturing our goofy grins when we lost teeth in the 70s and my oversized glasses and her oversized hair in the 80s. Eventually, in our early teens, Lisa and I lost touch.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit willowolder.substack.com