I got an unexpected call on my cell phone today, it was Sylvie, my good friend at the Mansion, she was moved to another facility last week.

Because of the virus, I couldn’t see her to say goodbye.

I love Sylvie and was afraid I wouldn’t see her again.

We had a very special connection.

I was surprised when she called me today and told me where she was and said she needed stamps and envelopes – some things never change.

I don’t know how the got my number, but I do know Sylvie has an iron will and I’m glad she found a way to get in touch with me.

I don’t think my life would be the same if I weren’t buying paper, stamps, and envelopes for Sylvie. “Jon,” she said in her way, “I need stamps right away.”

That was all she said. I think it really doesn’t matter to her where she lives.

She told me where she was and said she would be happy to continue getting mail from her friends and Pen Pals: Sylvie B, Room 31, the Fort Hudson Nursing Center, 319 Upper Broadway, Ft. Edward, N.Y., 12828.

On Monday, I’ll get her the stamps and envelopes she likes and overnight them to her. There is hell to pay if Sylvie doesn’t have her writing materials. I’ll send some pens just in case.

Sylvie traveled all through Europe after World War II with her father, who was an American diplomat. She broke down several times when she was young and was institutionalized, and has lived in institutions ever since.

She fell in love twice, but both men died. She wouldn’t play bingo because one of them loved the game and played with her. Sylvie is devoutly religious, she is a Jehovah’s Witness and she invited me to hear her sing one night at her place of worship.

Sylvie also talked of her beloved dog, who ran away in the mountains of Austria and never came back. She heard his howls every night, but never saw him again.

She had a very hard life, but I have never heard her complain or feel sorry for herself. She has a loving family and is close to them. She is intelligent and almost ruthlessly honest.

We came to know and love one another.

The Mansion privacy rules – Hippa – are strict.

I would never ask them where she was or how to get in touch with her, and they would never tell me. When someone leaves, I never expect to hear from them again. They just vanish.

And I rarely visit former residents even if I know where they are – I need to protect myself against burnout and taking on more than I can handle well.

Sylvia is tough and resourceful, I vaguely remember giving her my cell number when she asked for it a year ago.

Sylvie saves everything, although she lost many of the stamps I gave her, and most of the hats.

She would love to get your letters, but I wouldn’t recommend buying her stamps – they simply disappear. I have a system, I’ll get them to her aide or someone in the office, and they will hand them out to her.

I’ll take care of that and see she gets what she needs.

I don’t even want to tally the number of stamps I bought her that mysteriously disappeared. We found hundreds of them in a desk drawer one day when she asked for help in finding them.

But she had enough to write lots of letters. Sylvie is an original. She is very happy in her new home, the aides are wonderful, she said the room is large and comfortable.

Sylvie doesn’t really make a lot of friends,  and she doesn’t look back, something we share.

She loves warm hats for the winter – no symbols or images for religious reasons – and she loves getting letters.

I always screened her letters she asked me to mail, she had a habit of writing checks to people and corporations, that has been taken care of.

She said it was okay for me to give out her new address and encourage people to write her. She has a lot of friends she has never met.  And she does write back.

I won’t be able to see Sylvie for a long time, if ever. But I don’t really need to. We’ll stay in touch.

I’m grateful we are in touch and that I can keep supplying her with stamps and envelopes. Thanks for writing her and being a Pen Pal. The address is Sylvie B, Fort Hudson Nursing Center, Room 31,  319 Upper Broadway, Ft. Edward, N.Y., 12828.