A short story of a lost letter.

Something unusual came to my house a while back--something that, for me, has no natural explanation. What happened is a mystery to me and may be of interest to other PSA competition photographers.

My story has to do with the element of surprise, warm memories and the joy of discovery associated with the festivities of the Christmas season. A person remembers certain faces, places or events from childhood with special fondness. My fondest memories are the ones of the traditional Christmas celebrations, which I now try to maintain in my own family.

When I was a kid, the Christmas season was a time full of activities. Three or four days before Christmas we began preparing the Christmas tree; the living room was bright and colorful with decorations hanging on the walls. Signs everywhere said "Merry Christmas." On the base of the tree were all the Christmas cards we received.

A new chapter in my personal Christmas story began a few years ago, on December 24. The doorbell rang while I was at the top of the stairs putting the lights on the Christmas tree.

"It's the mailman," announced my little daughter, running to the door. "He brought some entry forms and cards."

Like most of us photographers, I look for the earliest closing date on the entry forms, so I can send my work to the exhibition early. So I asked my daughter to open the entry with the earliest closing date. When she opened the entry, from the Capital Circuit, a letter fell down from it.

"There is a letter with the form," cried my daughter, "but it isn't for you."

"What do you mean it isn't for me?" I asked her.

"It's not for you because it is from somebody living in South Africa to someone living in India," she said.

I took the letter and saw that the names and addresses of both the sender and the receiver were unknown to me.

Why had I received that letter? How, when or where was the letter inserted into the entry form from the USA to me in Argentina if it had to go from South Africa to India?

I was astonished.

We generally know the authors participating in the different international exhibitions; we read the catalogues, so we know their names, countries, honors, stars and photos. So do 1; but I couldn't remember this name. Even a search through the PSA Who's Who did not help me.

People greet each other differently in different countries, but all greetings are meant to show friendship and respect. To express a friendly greeting, I bought a special Christmas card, according to the traditions in my country, put the letter inside, and sent it to my unknown friend in India.

Three or four months later, I received another letter, from India. This time it was really for me.

My unknown friend told me he was a South African studying at the University in India. He had completed his exams in medicine. He had graduated and hoped to do a residence in a hospital in India as part of his postgraduate degree. The letter in question was originally sent from his parents in South Africa and was intended to reach him in India.

We wrote some other letters to each other. But we could never understand why the letter from his parents came to me. As a matter of fact, before I wrote to him, my previously unknown friend didn't know anything about PSAers, salons, exhibitions or camera clubs.

Time has passed and we have stopped our correspondence.

Yet, I have always wondered if that lost letter--and our short friendship--was a special Christmas present sent by providence, or just a simple circumstance. Was it a causal or a casual occurrence? Whatever the reason for my receiving the letter, I was glad to have yet another interesting friendship and fond memory to add to my Christmas cheer.