They say the pen is mightier than the sword – and this story might prove it.
Sault Ste. Marie’s Mary Cuglietta cherishes the bond she's had for over 65 years with Christine Williams, who is from England.
“It began when we were both 12 years old. We were offered a pen pal as a school exercise where we were given the name of a student in England. She got my name and I got hers.
"That was in June of 1959 just before the end of the school year in Grade 5. We kept up the letter writing over the years,” Cuglietta said.
They are now both in their late 70s.
“We've evolved from young girls to brides, from young mothers to grandmothers,” Cuglietta told SooToday.
Born in Italy, Cuglietta moved to the Sault with her family and attended Edith Cavell School as a child.
“At first we shared who we were as school girls. She had a dog at the time and she gave me some background on her family, her siblings, things like that.
"We shared about our families and we just kept it up from one letter to another. As teenagers we would share about music and school things. I've kept some of her letters.”
Cuglietta and her family visited England in 1988, which is when the two women met face to face for the first time.
“I always had this wish to go and meet her,” Cuglietta said.
The pair hit it off really well and so did their families.
The friends spent time sightseeing in London, Williams’ hometown of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Blackpool and Stratford-upon-Avon.
“We both have the same family values when it comes to our children and our expectations. She worked and I worked. We both at one time were afraid of flying but then we got over that.
"We both like going out for dinner with our families, having a glass of white wine. Sometimes there are parallels there. When my daughter watched us walk, she said we looked like we were sisters. We had the same gait and we'd pause at the same time,” Cuglietta said.
Williams visited Cuglietta on trips to Canada in 1990 and 1997.
Cuglietta and daughter Emily Thibodeau visited Williams on a second journey to England in September.
“I had that wish to see her again,” Cuglietta said.
The first time Williams came to Canada, Cuglietta and her family picked her up in Toronto and then they drove to the Sault.
"She was so impressed with Canada. She liked the space, the hospitality, the people. We took her to our cottage. She just loved visiting and we took her to places around here like Traverse City. Actually in 1990 she came for my 25th wedding anniversary. She was part of the celebration,” Cuglietta said.
As children, the two began mailing each other Christmas gifts and have done so ever since.
“We started sending each other small items in the mail, like a little bottle of perfume or bars of soap. Later I sent her gloves and little knick-knacks. We’ve sent each other Christmas ornaments and chocolates or tea. She’s sent me lovely pieces of bone china from the area where she lives,” Cuglietta said.
“I realize it's quite unusual, but it's something that evolved. It's not something you plan when you're 12, just one letter to another.
"We enjoyed hearing from each other and as we grew we got married, we had our kids almost at the same time. We’ve become grandmothers so we share conversations about our grandchildren.”
As technology evolved, their method of communication also changed.
Cuglietta and Williams now contact each other through phone calls and FaceTime.
“It has enriched both of our lives because it’s been a lifetime friendship. It's a very extraordinary friendship that we’ve had over the years and we have a lot in common when it comes to family values and that's the wonderful thing,” Cuglietta said.