A few weeks ago my parents gave me a dusty metal box, which they had found while cleaning house. I later opened it to discover a mountain of old love letters and postcards. Years of romances gained and lost, documented and memorialized in shades of pink, white, and glittered green.
Poison, I thought. No good could come from reading them, or keeping them in the house even. I’m too old to take them seriously, yet too soft to read them sarcastically. After flipping through them one evening, without spending more than a moment on any in particular, I said a short goodbye and tossed the lot into the trash.
Then, this morning I was sweeping, and discovered that one letter had slipped by unnoticed. I began to carry it to the trash, but as I did, I couldn’t help but notice the words, “I LOVE YOU,” in all caps, bolded, and underlined. Who could possibly discard these words, without reading further?!
Before saying goodbye once again, I thought I’d share a few choice excerpts. I think it’s a lovely bit of nostalgia … it’s so full of that hungriness for human connection, in its youngest vintage.
(July 24) I LOVE YOU – and miss you like crazy. I thought an awful lot about you today. I was wearing your hat and listening to Fresh Prince (Ring My Bell) (Verbal Massage) as I sat at the back of the boat watching the sun set on the edge of the water – it was beautiful!
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(July 26) Forgive my sloppy handwriting, for I am writing this on the bus as we head toward Paris. I am wearing your hat (and missing you like crazy.) I don’t know why but I love to sit at the back (which is where I am now), I think it’s because I can lay down and sleep. On the bus is a couple from Virginia, who might I add, constantly are falling asleep with arms all over each other. They look rather comfortable.
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["George" and "Martha"] always sit in front of me on the bus and at this very moment he is passionately kissing the nape of her neck – soon their actual lips will meet – mark my words.
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I see young couples walking hand in hand – kissing every two seconds – happy to be with each other – and this reminds me of us.
