Love Letters

 I was looking for Christmas wrapping paper as our church is taking up a collection of toys to distribute to homeless families and wanted gifts wrapped... I bought a couple of toys and for the life of me could not find any wrapping paper -- knew I had some! But after exhausting every closet, box, drawer and coming up empty handed, I thought, maybe there's some in that old steamer trunk.

I have an 1880's steamer trunk in the hallway which has the name of my great-great grandfather stenciled on the side which was brought over from Germany. It's a big trunk and full of stuff, so I open it up and start digging through it looking for wrapping paper.

There I am, sitting on the floor in the hallway, surrounded by piles of doilies and embroidered pillow cases, antique paisley shawls (from the 1860's) and other assorted sundry stuff and I keep digging through until I come near the bottom and there is a stack of folded papers...

Love letters. From Bob. 

They are not dated, but I can tell were written in 1994 before we were married... and I had totally forgotten about them.

So there I am, sitting cross-legged on the floor, reading old love letters for nearly an hour. My foot falls asleep and my legs are getting cramped, but I can't move. Crying and laughing, feeling like the luckiest and unluckiest woman in the world... reading things like:

I feel so much love for you that it's so hard to put into words. I've never felt this way before and have nothing to compare it to...

We're so lucky that we found each other. It's taken a lifetime of pain for the both of us to get to this point in life and we have to make sure that we stay together. I can't wait for the day when we are married...

After you left for work today, I sat and looked at your photograph for half an hour. You are so beautiful. In my eyes I have never seen someone as beautiful as you. Everyday I feel so fortunate to be with you and hope that you will always love me as much as I love you...

When you asked me to marry you I was very surprised. I Accept! Yes, You Bet! Uh-huh, Oh Boy! Golly Whiz Gee, Yah Sure You Betcha, Forever Love! I feel you will be the most beautiful bride and I can't wait to see the look in our eyes when we say we do and commit forever...

And this:

I do promise you this:

    1. Saturday's are sacred.

    2. I will always love only you.

    3. I will always be totally faithful.

    4. I will never hurt you.

    5. I will never leave you.

    6. I'll be just crazy enough to hold your interest.

    7. I'll take a bath at least once a year whether I need it or not.

    8. I won't become a religious, conservative republican, animal hater, anti-choice chauvinist male pig, abusive jerk, modern furniture lover, anti-feminist Bambi killer that likes to tear down historic buildings to put up parking lots.

He can still make me laugh even after all these years and from beyond the grave. Best Christmas gift ever.

I love you too, forever my darling, Bob.

Still not sure if I'm the luckiest or unluckiest...

Never did find that damn wrapping paper!