Hello, friend! Pen pals who've written to each other for almost seven decades finally meet

If you thought writing and sending letters was old-fashioned in this day and age, think again.

Patsy Gregory from Hoghton in Lancashire in the UK and Carol-Ann Krause from Conway, South Carolina in the US (both 80) have been exchanging letters since 1955, when they were just 12 years old.

Recently, the two pen pals fulfilled their lifelong wish to meet in person – 68 years after they started exchanging letters.

“We always kept saying we are going to meet up, but life kept getting in the way, but we always wrote each other. We might have never met up if my children had not thought to give me a birthday present of a trip to meet Carol-Ann,” Patsy says.

Patsy's children organised a trip to the US so the two besties could see each other. (PHOTO: Supplied)

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The Brit says she was overwhelmed with joy when she came face to face with her friend for the first time in June.  

“I recognised her immediately and it just felt natural.”

The trip was organised by Patsy’s three children and her daughter, Steph Calam, accompanied her.

“Mum has always wanted to meet her American pen friend,” Steph says.

“It was very emotional when they met and I was quite choked up when they hugged for the first time. They kept talking non-stop."

The pen pals, seen here with Carol-Ann’s husband, Dan, spent every day together. (PHOTO: Supplied)

The pair became pen pals while they were at school and have kept in touch over the years.

“I was a girl guide and Carol-Ann was a girl scout. While we were at school, we were each given a name to write to and that was how it all started back in 1955 and we have continued ever since,” Patsy says.

The two have shared more than 800 letters, always remembering each other’s birthdays, wedding anniversaries and holidays like Christmas

"We started in pencil, moved on to ink, then typing and now we can email and stay in touch on social media," Carol-Ann says.

The pair have promised to stay in touch with each other. (PHOTO: Supplied)

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After so many years of friendship, Carol-Ann shared that it felt like they’ve known each other forever.

The women have much in common. They are both the same age, they got married around the same time and each has three children.

“We’ve gone through life, all the trials and tribulations and shared it all through the letters.”

“It’s absolutely lovely and we’re both still here.”

The two friends will continue to write to each other and hope to meet up again some day.

 EXTRA SOURCE: BBC.COM