WHAT began as a simple school letter seven years ago has grown into a lasting friendship between a teenage student and an aged-care resident.
Back in fourth grade, Seth Hall was among a group of students asked to write cheerful letters to residents at Glenarm Aged Care in Kerang.
It was a school initiative intended to spread a bit of joy during the holiday season.
Seth chose to write to Geoff Turner.
“I just thought it would be nice to meet him and see how he was going,” Seth said.
“It was around Christmas, and I remember bringing him a colouring-in sheet.
“He loves art, his whole room is full of paintings.”
Seth’s letter was full of childhood charm, touching on footy rivalries, life on the farm, and even his pet ducks.
Geoff, now a long-time Glenarm resident, still remembers receiving that letter.
“It was top shelf,” he said.
“Very neat handwriting. He’s a smart lad.”
Now in Year 11, Seth recently returned to Glenarm as part of his health studies, only to be reunited with Geoff.
To his surprise, the letter he’d written as a child was still pinned to Geoff’s wall.
“It took me a while to connect the dots,” Geoff said.
“I remembered him, vaguely.
“Takes me a while these days.
Since then, Seth has become a regular at the facility, visiting every Tuesday to chat, join in on activities, and listen to Geoff’s stories.
“We made sunflowers together a few weeks back,” Seth said.
“He’s also shown me his walking stick collection, he carves them himself from sticks he finds out bush.”
Geoff grew up on a farm in Barham and spent his weekends fishing on the Murray River.
He said he’s proud of his past, his craft, and the friendships that now fill his time.
To Geoff, the students who visit feel like family.
“They’re part of the furniture now,” he said. “It’s terrific!”
Seth said the experience has helped shape his perspective on kindness.
“It’s taught me a lot about kindness and how even something small, like a letter, can really matter,” he said.
“I even wrote an essay about him for English, it was about connection, and how happy I felt to meet him again.”
Geoff, ever the mentor, offered some classic words of wisdom.
“Have a go!” he said. “Try something, even if it doesn’t work out. Just keep going till something sticks.”
