Honouring letter writing traditions

Pen pals and memories of a recurring dream about chipmunks

May 06, 2025

For many years I had a recurring dream about chipmunks where I found myself in a crudely painted cartoon scene with bold greens and deep browns. As I walked along a path in the forest I had four or five playful and furry characters scuttle in front of me. Approaching a clearing in the trees, I’d find these chipmunks taking turns to jump on the keys of an oversized typewriter.

And then I’d wake up.

Prompt: Chipmunks taking turns to jump on the keys of on an oversized typewriter (comic)

It’s been years since I’ve dreamt that dream, but its memory still circles my inner landscape. I’ve been wondering lately - why did this dream revisit me many, many times over a number of years? Was there an important message I had failed to notice before I woke up? And was there any paper in the typewriter?

Letter writing rituals

It’s got me thinking about letter writing rituals, pen pals and my maiden name - Penman.

The P in KPH.

I’ve always loved words, and embraced the family name by reading and writing letters from an early age. Our ancestors hark from Scotland and England. Perhaps we wrote letters for the Queen’s court, I used to wonder.

penman

(noun) from pen + man

“A person who writes by hand”, particularly someone skilled in penmanship. It's a compound word, where pen refers to a writing tool and man indicates a person. The word penman first appeared in English in 1539.

In the 1590s penman was described as "one who writes a good hand, one skilled in penmanship;" and in 1610s it was referred to as "copyist, clerk, scrivener".

Tracey Bridge was my first pen pal. Her father worked in the army. When her family announced they were leaving Mount Waverley for their next post, we agreed to write to each other.

I also exchanged letters for many years with my Auntie Merle, who was known throughout the Riverina district in NSW for her Country Women Association (CWA) baking triumphs at the local agricultural shows. Merle’s Plum Pudding recipe was copied into my Grandma’s hand written recipe book, and we follow this recipe each Christmas.

I’d love to know, did you have a pen pal?

Family birthday letter ritual

When Merle passed away I continued my letter writing with a personal ritual I created when my boys were a few years old. Each birthday I’d write them a letter and describe their interests, current turns of phrase, hobbies, sport and school achievements. I’d fold the pages of the lined notepaper, carefully place them into an envelope - with their name and our home address - seal it, stick a stamp on the front and post it in the Australia Post red street post box at the end of our driveway.

Sometimes I’d write these letters on the day of their birthdays, but mostly they were written a few weeks later. Perhaps I needed this distance from the themed birthday party and cake making that came with this season of family birthday celebrations. Time to take stock before I put pen to paper for their birthday letter message, capturing their character traits and what I loved about them.

I’ve enjoyed slowly growing my sentimental collection of family memories. When these letters arrive in our letterbox I’m quick to put them in a safe place, unopened.

It feels bittersweet that I only have one more birthday letter to write for my second son, when he turns 18 in October.

Writing and sending these letters has been a treasured ritual of my own making. I like to imagine that their contents will unlock special memories from a time long forgotten.

I originally thought I would share the bundle of birthday letters with each son when they turned 18, but I’m now more inclined to wait until they are older. I’ll know when the time is right.

Honouring letter writing with future generations

Honouring the tradition of letter writing is a way to slow things down and connect with my family. It’s one of my love languages.

There was a brief season when my niece and I exchanged hand written letters on specially selected notepaper. She is married now and navigating adult life.

Keen to continue and share my letter writing tradition, I recently invited my cousin’s five year old daughter to be my pen pal. Creating a writing set for her, I repurposed a cardboard container - from an old notepaper collection - and placed a few cards with envelopes, a pen and postage stamps into it. I ceremoniously explained the Penman writing tradition as I handed over the writing set and a lined A5 notepad, and asked Astrid if she’d like to be my pen pal.

I hope this tradition will be enjoyed and valued by my new pen pal - who said yes!

Returning to the chipmunks

Last year, I visited Scandinavia with my family. At Skansen in Stockholm, chipmunks scampered alongside our path as we walked through the world’s oldest open-air museum. Later during our trip, at Assistens Cemetery in Copenhagen, the path we travelled to visit the grave of Hans Christian Andersen resembled the one in my recurring dream. As we left the grave site and made our way out of the cemetery, chipmunks darted up and down the tall trees lining the path.

Before these encounters I may not have believed chipmunks were real. Perhaps this is because they’re not native to Australia, and I’d only ever seen them in my dreams and an animated film.

Have you ever experienced a recurring dream? What was it and do you think it was trying to tell you something?