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Transcript

Dear FRIENDS| A Love Letter To The TV Show That Raised Me · The Letterbox Podcast

• 0:00
  Hello and welcome back to the Letterbox Podcast.
• 0:03
  Where are there you are listening in from?
• 0:06
  Thank you so much for being here.
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  Really does mean a lot to me and I know the people who are
• 0:11
  writing the letters too. If you've heard the last few
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  letters, you'll know we've explored some deeply personal
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  stories. One of the things I love about
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  what this podcast is becoming though, is that there are no
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  rules about what deserves to be in a letter.
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  Today's letter is a light hearted one.
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  It's been sent in by Anna, who's nearly 30, and like so many
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  people of that generation, myself included, grew up with
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  Friends, the TV show permanently playing somewhere in the
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  background. What we're going to listen to
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  isn't just a love letter to a sitcom, it's a reflection and
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  growing up alongside 6 fictional characters who somehow became
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  companions through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood,
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  teaching lessons both profound and completely ridiculous.
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  Before I read today's letter, if you think this one is going to
• 1:08
  resonate with someone you know, please share it with them.
• 1:11
  And if you're not already, following and leaving a rating
• 1:14
  genuinely helps more people discover these stories.
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  But now it's time for Anna's letter.
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  Dear Phoebe, Monica, Rachel, Chandler, Ross and Joey.
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  So no one told your life was going to be this way.
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  I'm just going to say I'm highly embarrassed and I was very
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  particular in her e-mail and said that I must sing and clap
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  and. Who am I to?
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  Deviate away from the writer's wishes, but please don't ask me
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  to do that again. Growing up in the 90s, my
• 1:53
  childhood days included this song at least six times a day.
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  Friends was routinely played during our morning routine at
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  8:00 AM on Channel 4. Two episodes were then on E4 at
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  5 PME 4 + 1 at 6:00 PM, another two episodes on E4 at 8:00 PM,
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  and then E 4 + 1 again at 9:00 PM.
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  Of course, that was never enough, so my sisters and I own
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  the complete VHS and DVD collection too.
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  Yes, it's Needless to say that Friends played a big part of my
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  childhood. To this day, it's still my
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  comfort show when I'm sad, ill, or simply a little bored.
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  For me, the show really does live up to the lyrics.
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  I'll be there for you when the rain starts to pour.
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  I'll be there for you like I've been there before.
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  I'll be there for you because you're there for me too.
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  For 25 years you've been there. With laughs, wisdom, life
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  lessons and questionable advice, the show felt like having
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  another set of family members, so much so that I genuinely
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  started using American words and accents for things as a child.
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  It taught me about language, relationships and unfortunately
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  made at the majority of my sex education as well.
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  My school teachers certainly didn't talk about the mysterious
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  magic 7 number that Monica gets so excited about.
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  And her advice to take your time, hit them all, mix them up.
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  You got to keep them on their toes.
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  And supposedly how Joey's line, how you doing is the most
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  seductive line any human could ever say ever, with 100% success
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  rate. It taught me that a circumcised
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  man like Joey, although I don't think I knew what that was when
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  I was younger, could apparently solve all his problems with
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  Silly Putty. That leather trousers should
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  never be worn on the first date in summer, That safe sex is
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  important. And sometimes rock, paper,
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  scissors is required to decide who gets the last condom.
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  And supposedly there's something called shark porn.
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  Yeah, perhaps not the best source to learn about sex, but
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  the show also covered the nuances of dating the crazy and
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  interesting world of seeking a partner in your 20s and 30's.
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  The Friends to Lovers story of Monica and Chandler showed how
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  attraction can grow from friendship, trust, and mutual
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  respect. Yet Joey and Rachel reminded us
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  that sometimes the fantasy doesn't translate into reality.
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  Unfortunately, who we fall in love with isn't always a choice.
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  Monica falls in love with Richard despite differing views
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  on starting a family. Ross's wife has an affair and
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  embraces a new sexual identity, leaving him anxious, clingy and
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  insecure. The show also taught me some
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  realities of family planning. Things don't always go according
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  to plan, whether that's a surprise pregnancy like little
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  Emma, the complexities of Phoebe surrogacy, or the heartbreak of
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  struggling to conceive. Not only that, but it also
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  taught me what working as an adult can be like.
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  Supposedly that grown up jobs include going to coffee shops
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  with your friends every day of the week, that you can live in
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  New York in an amazing apartment on a very tight budget.
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  So I was bitterly disappointed upon entering the workforce and
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  realising that is not what adulting looks like.
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  But there were some more useful prayer lessons in the show.
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  Chandler told me it's never too late to change careers and take
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  a risk. Ross showed me why you must
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  clearly label your food in the office fridge.
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  The mental health breakdown following your boss eating your
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  Turkey moist maker sandwich is simply not worth it.
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  Getting promoted to a manager and being Boss Man Bing means
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  your relationships with your colleagues might change a
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  little. And whatever you do, try your
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  best not to accidentally kiss your boss at your interview.
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  Like Rachel watching the show as a grown up, I've connected with
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  different characters at different stages of my life,
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  learning from both their wisdom and their flaws.
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  Chandler, you taught me not to take life too seriously.
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  Quick witted sarcasm is truly a gift.
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  You also showed how attachment wounds in fear of commitment can
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  affect your adult relationships. I still can't believe you
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  actually ran away on the morning of your wedding.
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  Phoebe. Wacky, wonderful and my all time
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  favourite. A true role model for following
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  your passions, writing songs about smelly cats, creating
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  mannequin art and never being afraid to live authentically and
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  go against the grain. Watching as an adult, I feel
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  genuine compassion for everything you endured growing
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  up, homelessness, loss and learning to survive on your own.
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  Yet somehow, you remained kind, quirky, and hopeful.
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  You taught me to embrace my inner hippie and that maybe,
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  just maybe, that stray cat could be a reincarnated loved 1 Ross.
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  Oh Ross, the jealous, possessive boyfriend.
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  Yep, you taught me what to be wary of when choosing a partner.
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  To never say someone else's name at a wedding, never date your
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  students, and don't try to kiss your cousin.
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  You and be careful who you marry. 3 divorces before 30 is
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  quite an achievement. But also, you taught me to
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  follow my passions, throw myself into learning and nurture
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  relationships with my siblings. You also taught me to be wary of
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  spray tampoos and teeth whitening.
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  Rachel what an ark from spoiled Princess to independent,
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  successful career women. A reminder not to depend on
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  others to build life for yourself.
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  Step outside your comfort zone and discover what you're truly
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  capable of. Joey, you taught me that
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  sometimes childlike view of the world is exactly what?
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  Is needed. A character who embraced his
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  love of food, showed resilience in the face of constant
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  rejection from auditions, and remained fiercely loyal to the
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  people he loved. Monica, a perfectionist at
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  heart. A woman who loves control, fears
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  her past, and uses obsessive cleaning to cope while secretly
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  hiding a chaotic cupboard that nobody is allowed to see.
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  Honestly, I think most of us can relate to that a little.
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  But you also showed determination, kindness, and a
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  courage to keep pursuing motherhood despite enormous
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  challenges. So before I leave you, thank you
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  for the lessons that only the six of you could provide.
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  One, Make friends with your neighbours across the hall.
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  They might be a Mr Heckles, or they might become lifelong
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  friends and partners. Two, your friendships can truly
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  transform your life. Embrace each other's
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  differences, nurture your relationships, and repair the
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  ruptures when they happen. 3 When things get stuck, shouting
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  pivot doesn't actually help, but it certainly lightens.
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  The mood. 4 Thanksgiving pants with a stretchy stomach are in
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  fact a necessity as an adult for the festive period.
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  If you ever want to know what feet taste like, simply add beef
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  to your trifle. 6 If I ever have children higher than male nanny
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  who plays recorder, cries and bakes madeleines, what an Angel.
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  7 Break up with toxic partners and don't waste years of your
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  life trying to force something that isn't right.
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  As Phoebe says, find your lobster.
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  They might not arrive when you expect, but keep looking 8 They
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  don't know that we know that they know we know, and it's OK.
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  9 Unagi It's not something you are, it's something you have. 10
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  If you're lucky enough to find a real friendship group, love them
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  fiercely, show them gratitude, and don't take them for granted.
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  And if you're still searching for yours, that's OK too.
• 11:03
  These six friends will always be here for you and remind you it's
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  OK if no one told you life was going to be this way.
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  Anna, thank you so much for that letter.
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  I really enjoyed reading it. Apart from the singing, I, like
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  you keep revisiting friends over and over again in my life.
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  It really is one of my happy places and I know for so many
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  people out there it is theirs too.
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  It may not have aged well in all aspects over the years, but
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  there is something about those six friends that is really
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  magical and comforting. If.
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  You have listened today and you've enjoyed it and it's made
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  you smile or it's made you sing. I would love for you to send
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  this on to somebody else who you know would equally appreciate
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  everything that was in this letter.
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  And as always, if there is something that you would like to
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  write about, remember it. Can be.
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  To anyone or anything please do send me your letter, I would
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  love to read it. I will leave you there.
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  But perhaps next time you. See one of your friends?
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  Just give them that little bit tighter of a hug.
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  Thank you again for listening to the Letterbox podcast.