Love Letters
I knew that my mother had saved her letters from my father when he was away in the Army. So, after my mother died last year, I was cleaning out her dresser and came upon the letters. At least 50 of them, maybe more. Letters from my father to my mother while he was stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington, just out of high school.
The letters have been such a joy to read. It has shown me a side of my parents (especially my Father) that I knew little about. As I have read each letter, it has brought a smile to my face, an occasional tear, and a bit of appreciation for my parents and their courtship. My father virtually began each letter with "My Darling" and signed each with "All My Love, Jimmie".
As I have struggled this past year with the death of my mother, one of the hardships has been helping my father to cope with her death, helping him through his own physical ailments, and helping him to continue on. My father has taken a lot of my energy, and sometimes I have been overwhelmed with his persistent telephone calls and demands. He has not handled her death as I had thought he would. He has reverted back a bit to where he depends on me more and more. It has been hard to watch him "go downhill" and not go on with life in an easier manner. He truly has been lost without my mother.
So, it has been refreshing and buoyant for me to read his words to my mother. Words of love, words of homesickness, words of hope, words of despair. At times he would brag about being at Fort Lewis and serving his country, his love for the Army and the unit. Yet at other times, he would rue the day he even went there to begin with, and couldn't wait to get home. More importantly, he was insecure about my mother still being at home, still being in high school and dating, and in many of the letters reiterated the fact that they were "engaged". He spoke lovingly in his letters about his own mother, and constantly encouraged my mom to visit with his mother. He asked about the local high school sports, especially Lehi vs. American Fork and/or Pleasant Grove.
It was interesting that in one of his letters, he spoke about having "5 kids" (they had 3) and that their first daughter should be named "Marsha". I'm not a Marsha, so I don't know where they changed their minds on that, but I'm glad.
Dad's letters also spoke longingly about his chance to get home. He couldn't wait for Thanksgiving, or Christmas, or for a long leave when he could come home. He clearly was homesick. Sometimes he said the food was okay, at other times he hated it. I'm sure it didn't compare at all with his mother's homecooked meals, because she was a wonderful cook.
All-in-all, it has been a joy to read these letters. I have seen my parents in a different light, i.e., at the ripe old age of 18 or 19, young and in love. It helps me to see how much my father did love my mother and has offered me insight into their love and courtship.
I knew that my mother had saved her letters from my father when he was away in the Army. So, after my mother died last year, I was cleaning out her dresser and came upon the letters. At least 50 of them, maybe more. Letters from my father to my mother while he was stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington, just out of high school.
The letters have been such a joy to read. It has shown me a side of my parents (especially my Father) that I knew little about. As I have read each letter, it has brought a smile to my face, an occasional tear, and a bit of appreciation for my parents and their courtship. My father virtually began each letter with "My Darling" and signed each with "All My Love, Jimmie".
As I have struggled this past year with the death of my mother, one of the hardships has been helping my father to cope with her death, helping him through his own physical ailments, and helping him to continue on. My father has taken a lot of my energy, and sometimes I have been overwhelmed with his persistent telephone calls and demands. He has not handled her death as I had thought he would. He has reverted back a bit to where he depends on me more and more. It has been hard to watch him "go downhill" and not go on with life in an easier manner. He truly has been lost without my mother.
So, it has been refreshing and buoyant for me to read his words to my mother. Words of love, words of homesickness, words of hope, words of despair. At times he would brag about being at Fort Lewis and serving his country, his love for the Army and the unit. Yet at other times, he would rue the day he even went there to begin with, and couldn't wait to get home. More importantly, he was insecure about my mother still being at home, still being in high school and dating, and in many of the letters reiterated the fact that they were "engaged". He spoke lovingly in his letters about his own mother, and constantly encouraged my mom to visit with his mother. He asked about the local high school sports, especially Lehi vs. American Fork and/or Pleasant Grove.
It was interesting that in one of his letters, he spoke about having "5 kids" (they had 3) and that their first daughter should be named "Marsha". I'm not a Marsha, so I don't know where they changed their minds on that, but I'm glad.
Dad's letters also spoke longingly about his chance to get home. He couldn't wait for Thanksgiving, or Christmas, or for a long leave when he could come home. He clearly was homesick. Sometimes he said the food was okay, at other times he hated it. I'm sure it didn't compare at all with his mother's homecooked meals, because she was a wonderful cook.
All-in-all, it has been a joy to read these letters. I have seen my parents in a different light, i.e., at the ripe old age of 18 or 19, young and in love. It helps me to see how much my father did love my mother and has offered me insight into their love and courtship.
posted by Susan | 11:50 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home