The Parcel

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(Edited)

The parcel was meant for me but landed in someone else's post box. The only commonality was the suburb we both lived in; neither our street number, nor street name corresponded, and our names as well. Back in those days, the postman got to know who lived on their beat, and if a parcel was small enough to fit in the post box, it would be popped in there.

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Photo by Bundo Kim on Unsplash

How things have changed!

Parcels are mostly sent via courier services which is faster and way more trusted than our post office, and if one is posted, it has to be collected from the post office.
Letters and greeting cards sent by mail have become a thing of the past. What a pity as it used to be great reading a hand-written letter. I still keep some very special letters and birthday cards in a box.
Birthday cards and Christmas cards as well as special Anniversary cards had to be posted. I used to hate sending annual Christmas cards, but it was the done thing and I didn't want anyone to think I wasn't thinking of them so I had a long list of names and would spend hours filling in names, adding a special message and then having to lick the envelope and the stamp; sounds quite disgusting, but that's what one did back then. I enjoyed the taste of that glue!

The letter below was a letter from my nephew to Oupa and Ouma (grandpa and grandma) that my brother had to write as he was still too young to write; he spoke and my brother did the writing ;)

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Most documents are emailed nowadays, which I just love, as it's so much easier than spending hours looking for a very important document that somehow was not filed - something that happens to me way too often! But my PC filing is done very orderly making life so much easier as some older files have been put in the archives.

South African post offices now offer other services such as being a collection point for government grants, and renewal of vehicle licenses, so I guess that will soon be their prime service as posting documents will eventually become a thing of the past.

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Image Source

However, I've veered way off the story I was going to tell you about.


My friend @artywink and I met purely by chance under the circumstances described in my opening paragraph. This meeting, just like I told you a while back about my friend Josh, was also written in the stars!

So...back to that parcel that landed in her post box. When she saw the surname, she remembered her hubby talking about an old school friend with the same surname, which was not common, but they had grown apart after school as they were in different grades.
He called my hubby who confirmed that it indeed was his address and his wife's name!

We went to pick up the parcel and thank them, and we immediately clicked; kindred spirits indeed! Our friendship has grown stronger over time, 42 years ago when we were both expecting our youngest babies!


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Strangely, we were both born in the same city in the Eastern Cape; our two oldest kids shared the same birthday, and not only had the same characteristics but uncannily looked like brother and sister! Their youngest daughter and my son were born a month apart, and similarly are both so alike character-wise, and very headstrong I have to add; whereas our two oldest have always been laidback, calm, and serene; typical Aquarians!

I could likely open up an art gallery just showing off the artwork of Peter Wink, @artywink's hubby. He did a quick watercolour of my oldest son a couple of days ago; I still have to fetch it but here is a photo she took of it. My son feels super honoured that uncle Pete did a painting of him based on a photograph.

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And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures.
For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.

Kahlil Gibran


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24 comments
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Some wonderful memories here of times past my friend. So sad to see how many post offices are shutting down.
Seems like our days of yore will only remain in our memories, exactly like the two empty glass milk bottles outside with the tokens under them.

Stay well and safe!

!PIZZA

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How well I remember those glass milk bottles & tokens, the milk had a thick layer of cream on top. I'd often be tempted to pour some of the cream off before shaking it to distribute the cream.
Such luxury we will never have again!
We even built a special little nook in our garden wall, but sadly soon thereafter the deliveries stopped.
We now have an ornamental fowl sitting in it ;)
That milk in the glass bottle tasted much better than today's milk not so!

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Oh! At first I thought that special little nook was for mothers to drop unwanted babies 🤣 !LOL
Only joking and the bird looks very comfortable in there.

You are right Lady Lizzie as most of the top quality stuff has disappeared and sadly replaced by worthless instant packaging that chokes our rivers and oceans.

!LUV

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I love the cards that arrive from my mother in law in the UK, so thoughtfully chosen. Always tractors and Landrovers in the British countryside for my husband, and hares for me!

What a totally lovely meeting story... Clearly you souls were meant to meet in this lifetime!

That watercolour of your son is divine.. what a treasure!

our two oldest have always been laidback, calm, and serene; typical Aquarians!

This is my son. He's a Taurus, so hard to rattle anyway, but his Aquarius moon is EXACTLY this. A blessing for someone as airy and energetic as me.

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We always received postcards from friends & family when they traveled, I've kept most of those. It was a fun thing to do for the special people in our lives, sharing the places we went to on holiday.
No WhatsApp and Facebook back then!
How sweet of your mother-in-law to still be doing that & so thoughtful too 🥰
My younger son is the total opposite, a Sagittarian! It's like a whirlwind hits the house when he visits.
Enjoy the postcards, it's something we have not received for years!
Always nice seeing you here @riverflows 🤗

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Yes, simple things are so changing. Who is still writing letters.
It is sad to see certain things are changing and disappearing.
Have a great evening 👋🏻😁

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Thank you @littlebee4, it is sad indeed as those things were so much more personal!
Have a great Friday 🤗

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You are welcome @lizelle 😁
I know, it was so much more personal.
Now people send emails around, and are “hiding” behind them. Some even think they can write anything… we wouldn’t do that back in the days when writing letter. There was some sort of etiquette. That part is lost in emails and other on-line communications, I think.

Have a wonderful Friday today 👋🏻😁☀️

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That's a heart warming story of true friendship. It's nice how you guys met and obviously was written in the stars.

I just love the painting!

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It certainly was written in the stars, and that painting has even captured my son's gentle nature, love it! Always nice seeing you too my friend ❤

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Wow my friend has it been that long?....time sure flies, I still want to do a dna test I'm sure we have the same blood running through our vain s, even my mom and your mom could be sisters, lol. Imagine that, another story to be told.Lol
Thanks for sharing forever friend.

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It has been a long time, remember we were pregnant or had just had our two crying babies ;)
I'm also sure there's some blood connection here!
Forever friend for sure xxx

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Post Offices here have to adapt and now I see they will collect parcels from your home, so that is a boost for people.
How cool that you met @artywink like that and the painting her hubby did of your son is so cool! Looks a cracking fish he caught too!

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It's so sad here, as more and more post offices are closing down, so that means they're cutting back on staff as well, not good!
It was really weird how we met & how our kids are so alike! Pete did that within 2 days. my son is so chuffed, just as he was when he landed that bass!
Thank for the visit Ed :)

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Beautiful and awesome memories, who would have believed that a time like this will come, when post offices are closed or inactive. It has become the things of the old.

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Reflecting back to excitement waiting for the postman to arrive, checking the mail to see if any were addressed to you. What a wonderful way to rekindle an old friendship through post arriving at the wrong address, people did have a way of finding the rightful owner, now imagine that today!

We swim in memories reflecting back, wondering most times what went wrong, invention is not always kind or clean as we well know with using good old glass.

"The best antiques are old friends", such a true saying!

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What a wonderful story, Lizelle! @lizelle It warms my heart to hear stories like this and this friendship was meant to be from the start. :) A friendship that endured! ❤️

I still write letters and cards. I know, I know, but, I have many elderly aunts that still like them, so it doesn't take forever and they get so much pleasure out of them. I actually still get cards and letters too. :) I still like them too.

The painting is so wonderful and only someone who knows your son could paint such a likeness. There is a definite intimateness in it! Wonderful work by the hubby @artywink! Tell him it is simply awesome!

Thank you for sharing your beautiful story with us!

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I think it's wonderfully kind of you to take the time to still write letters & cards to your aunts! It's way more personal and so very special receiving something tangible like a handwritten card or letter💞
That painting certainly is very special as it even captured my son's gentleness, just awesome 👌
Thank you so much for your lovely comments, it's always such a delight reading your responses Denise 🥰

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