We were doing a little estate sale shopping on Saturday
on our last estate sale of the day we found an envelope filled with letters.
They were a little more than we normally would have wanted to spend
but something told us we needed to take these home with us.
When I got home I showed them to my husband who couldn't wait to read them.
He read a couple out loud to me as I puttered around the house.
I couldn't believe what we stumbled across.
These were love letters from a Dr. in the military stationed in France in the early 50's
to his wife and new born son back here in Portland.
As I read them I felt almost guilty for doing so.
It feels a little like voyeurism or eaves dropping.
They are so intimate, tender
and full of love.
Some of them are even a little racy and so honest.
They all start with "My Darling Faye"
and end with either "All My Love, Ralph"
or "xoxoxo, Ralph".
Here is a little snippet of one so you can see what I mean.
"Received another of your wonderful letters this morning.
Gee, they make me feel so darned good.
You are wonderful honey.
So thoughtful and such a perfect girl for a guy like me.
I know you will be the best mother always to our "heir"".
(They just had their first child, Marky.)
Almost all the envelopes are numbered and he dated each one
with the day, month, date and year.
The language is so of the times.
It is truly a time machine into a marriage during post war
in a time so different from today.
Here's to love and romance.
Ciao,
F
1 comment:
These were so intimate, I felt as though I was peering through the curtains of someone's home. The man was so in love with his wife. On one letter, he gave her suggestions on how to care for their dog who had an infected wound. We were so surprised the family did not save these letters.
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