Close Connections - Another Chapter

It was in 1993, when Ken was promoting his first book, 'Dear Mum', that we met Louisa.  She was part of the audience at our central library listening to a spiel by Ken.  The following day she phoned him to request a copy of the book for her brother.  Could she cycle out to our house and pick it up?

We liked her immediately.  Louisa had just moved to Victoria from Vancouver and didn't know a soul.  She was an avid reader and we were soon discussing books over a cup of tea.  I ended up lending her books from our vast supply and thus began a deep friendship which has lasted twenty-one years (and counting).

Louisa met a young Japanese fellow and they fell in love. His parents came to Victoria on a visit from Japan and we drove them around the city while Hideo (Louisa's fellow) explained everything to them in Japanese.  It was a fun day and when we parted company in Beacon Hill Park there was a great deal of bowing and hugging.

Louisa and Hideo married and settled in Vancouver where he is an established acupuncturist.  They had a baby girl, Emma, and we stayed in touch.  I kept every letter Louisa wrote to us as they contained so much detail I thought I should save them for Emma to enjoy one day.

Hideo, Louisa and Emma in the teahouse Hideo built in their backyard.

 In her Christmas letter of 2013, Louisa says:

"I would like to say a special thank you to you Lynette. When you gave me that bundle of letters I had written to you, I thought they were a few Christmas cards I had sent.  I had no idea you had saved every letter I had ever written to you, going back to the first thank-you letter I wrote in 1993 when I wrote to thank you for loaning me some of your books to read (which I enjoyed reading very much, by the way). 

A big thank you to you both for opening your home to me when I was fresh from Vancouver when I believe I had only been in Victoria for three days.  What a treat it has been over these past twenty years (can you believe it?!) knowing you both and having the opportunity to meet Terry, as well.  And of course, getting to meet Miller."

To me, this is just another example reaching out to others and the heart-warming results.

(In stark comparison, I recall an acquaintance, who when selling her car, remarked proudly that no one had ever sat in its back seat!)