Pen pals since age 11 finally meet after 70 years — their first hug was worth the wait

Di Coke (@superluckydi on Instagram), a loving daughter, decided to make her beloved mom meet her American penfriend, whom she had been writing to since she was 11 years old. After waiting for 70 long years, the world fell silent when they met, as their love spoke volumes, redefining what true friendship looks like. Di Coke posted the video on Instagram on June 22, 2025, and gained 59.8k views within the first two days.

After a long train journey, Di Coke captured the precious moment that her mother and Bonnie, her penfriend, had been waiting for seven decades. They reached the station where Bonnie was already waiting for her bestie to arrive. The minute the elderly ladies saw each other, they hugged like their lives depended on that warm embrace, soaking in every bit of their dream-come-true moment. At one point, Di Coke's mom broke their hug, only for a few seconds, before gently pulling her friend back into her loving arms.

"Today was so special! My mom got to meet her American penfriend, Bonnie, for the first time. As you can imagine, we were all crying… and I bet you will too!" Di Coke wrote in the caption. Moving on, Di Coke attached a few heartwarming pictures of the besties looking absolutely thrilled to have finally met each other. But it's definitely a small glimpse of the elderly besties walking on the streets hand-in-hand, that will make you believe in true friendships all over again.

During the golden years, when people are mostly idle, enjoying their retirement life, genuine bonds can help them live a fulfilling life. In fact, as per the National Library of Medicine, friendships in old age are associated with higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction. This, perhaps, explains why Di Coke must have thought about making her mom meet her long-distance bestie.

Echoing the sentiments of the beautiful video, @helenyendall23 commented, "I've just watched it again! How many of us can say we've had a friend for so long? They've shared so much of their lives. Amazing, really amazing. And lovely that they've finally met up after all this time." Similarly, @lorrainedillamore said, "This is beautiful. I love seeing them walking hand in hand; it brought a tear to my eye."

On the other hand, @seenitloveithomeandgarden shared, "This is so lovely! This has cheered me up after a rough week. Did they keep their letters? I remember that as an early teenager, I was a pen pal. I had too many on the go at once, so I guess I didn’t develop any true connections. I managed to track one on Facebook a few years back after some detective work, finding her married name. Another user who goes by @traceyblaine7 on Instagram said, "Wow, this is so moving, not going to lie, it made my eyes leak. They both look so happy, and watching them holding hands is just such a special moment. I am so pleased they got to do this." @maemcksal wrote, "It is really very beautiful! And very emotional the way they're holding hands and hugging, it’s just heartwarming to see these beautiful ladies, God bless them both, long may their friendship continue."

You can follow Di Coke (@superluckydi) on Instagram for more lifestyle content.