It was a cold, rainy Sunday afternoon and Van was bored. He had finished his homework and his chores. There was nothing good on T.V. and he wasn't in the mood to read. Being a shy, quiet kid, Van didn't have many friends. He scanned his room for something to occupy his mind when he saw some paper and pen on his desk.

Van loved to write and was gifted with a wonderful vocabulary so he decided to compose a letter. The letter wasn't written to anyone in particular. He just wanted to put his feelings and thoughts down on paper. Before he knew it, he had written three full pages. He placed the letter in an envelope and left it on his desk.

"Good morning Van. I made pancakes this morning so help yourself. Oh by the way, I mailed that letter that was on your desk." "Letter? You didn't read it, did you?" "Of course not. Do you have a new pen pal?" "Um, yeah. I just started writing to him." "That's great. You're a terrific writer. I'm sure you'll enjoying exchanging letters."

How odd Van thought to himself. Oh well, it's not like the letter would end up going anywhere. The letter had no stamp or address on it so he was confident that it would end up being thrown away and never read by anyone ever. At least that's what he thought would happen.

I enjoy my own company, but some days I feel so alone. I'm quiet and afraid to start conversations because I don't want to say something silly. The other kids at school make fun of me sometimes because I am so awkward and clumsy. I wish there was somebody that I could talk to about life with. I don't want to worry my parents so for now I will keep things to myself.......................................

Somehow Van's letter was not thrown away. Call it a fluke or a twist of fate, but somebody actually did receive the letter he had written expressing all of his innermost feelings. "Poor kid. I can totally relate. We really have a lot in common. Maybe I should write him back to let him know that he has a friend he can confide in."

"How was school today Van? Your Dad is working until 6 so dinner will be a little late tonight. Oh and there's a letter for you on the kitchen table."

"A letter? For me?" Van thought to himself. "Who would be sending me mail. Nobody ever writes to me." Van ran upstairs to his room with the letter in hand curious about its contents. The letter had no return address on it or even a stamp. How did the letter even make its way here? 

Hello there,

By chance the letter you had written was delivered to my residence. I don't know how this came to be. I am in the same situation as you are. I am feeling a little sad these days as well. Feel free to tell me anything that you want to get off your chest. You don't have to give me your name or your address. I'm pretty sure we live far away from one another but I will make sure you get a reply. It's always nice to have a friend when you're feeling down............

Van sat in his room staring at the letter. He still didn't understand how an envelope with no information on it ended up being mailed to a complete stranger. At dinner he asked his Dad about what happens to letters like the one he wrote. "Usually they end up in what's known as a 'Dead Letter Office' meaning that they would likely get destroyed. Why do you ask?" "Just curious."

Van didn't think about the letter for the next little while as it just sat there on his desk. He wondered if someone was pulling a prank on him as he was teased at school quite often. Another gloomy, rainy Sunday afternoon found Van bored and restless. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted the mysterious letter. "Oh why not?" he said as he began to write. The past couple of weeks had been hard at school and it would be good for him to confide in someone.

Two weeks later another letter arrived for Van. "What's this? Another letter?" Van's Mom asked. "Do you have a secret girlfriend you're not telling us about?" "Ha, ha. You got me. Actually I...uhhh, I've got a new pen pal." "Oh how wonderful. What's their name? Where are they from?" Van mumbled a bunch of words before grabbing the letter from his Mom's hand and running upstairs.

For the next few months, the new friends exchanged letters on a regular basis. Van's parents began noticing a difference in their son as he was a happier more confident kid. Even though the two never met and didn't even know each other's names, Van and his pen pal had formed a wonderful friendship. He even started eating lunch with some other kids rather than sitting alone like you usually would.