The Art of Writing Love Letters For Her Grace Pamer Published by Grace Pamer on Smashwords Copyright 2012 *** All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. Smashwords Edition License Notes This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you wish to share it with. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or if it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Amazon.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the authors' work. *** Books written by Grace Pamer can be obtained either through the author’s official website: www.romanceneverdies.com or through select, online book retailers. *** Contents Introduction Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Connect Online *** Introduction A love letter is one of the most heartwarming and romantic gestures any man can give to a loved one. They have the power to excite and melt the heart in a way that nothing else can and yet they remain a rare gift in today’s fast moving world. Very few people actually take the time to sit and write a love letter despite the fact that they often remain a long cherished keepsake for the recipient and a reminder of strong feelings and emotions. They can take many forms from short and sweet gestures of emotion to romantic outpourings of devotion. They can amusing and sentimental all at the same time and afford the writer a chance to communicate feelings that are sometimes difficult to say and all too often are left unsaid. Whatever form they take, however, they have the power to illicit the most incredible reaction from the recipient for they remain one of the most potent and romantic means of expressing love that man has ever found. *** Chapter 1 Why love letters are so important In this modern age of texting and tweeting, many would consider the very idea of a handwritten love letter somehow archaic, old-fashioned and useless. After all, if you can say "I love you" with a few keystrokes, why say anything else at all? Well, the love letter has a long history and a noble purpose even in our time of fast and easy messaging. A letter to your lover expressing such things as how much you love her, why you love her, how much you miss her when you're apart, what you see in your future together, what you daydream about doing the next time you make love - all of these sentiments and more have their rightful place in a love letter. Feelings like these really cannot be expressed in any other way and be expressed as completely as they are in a leisurely composed and carefully edited letter. Even great composers of music and poets have found that a letter to their lover is the best way to communicate the depth and nature of their feelings. This is because the actual form of the letter is ideally suited to giving full vent to the message. You don't have to worry about it being too long, or rhyming, or sounding just right - you can even wander over the subject a bit before coming around to your main point you love this person enough to spend the time and effort it takes to write him or her a real letter. It's perhaps better to think of the love letter as the ultimate romantic gift. Most people will take the easy way out and buy a card or candy, or a bouquet of flowers, or jewelry - any of the standard ways to make a romantic gesture and communicate your love. But these are general expressions that have no individuality or uniqueness - anyone can buy something in a store or sign a card. A love letter is a gift so personal and special that it will be remembered always, and it will communicate your love in a distinctively memorable way. Down through history, people have written love letters to express their love as no one else could. The love letter as a piece of historical writing actually goes back to ancient times. Cleopatra and Marc Antony carried on a torrid affair a couple of thousand years ago that was stoked with the help of letters back and forth. Cleopatra may have used papyrus for her romantic missives. Napoleon was often separated from the love of his life, Josephine, but was able to maintain their relationship with the help of very personal, lively letters describing his longing and love for her. Beethoven was a lady's man in his time, and most of his liaisons have been a matter for the history books, but he is most well-known for love letters to a woman he addressed as "Immortal Beloved." Winston Churchill's love letters to his wife Clementine moreover have been collected and are read and cherished by historians and lovers alike. Poets and politicians (Richard Nixon to his wife Pat, for example), scientists and novelists (Einstein and James Joyce wrote some very spicy love letters in their time), and ordinary folk like you and me have chosen to take the time to write a love letter that could only have been written by one person - the lover. That's why, in this hurried to-go world, a love letter is a grand romantic gesture, a gift of love, and a treasured memory for a lifetime. *** Chapter 2 The Structure of a Love Letter Writing a love letter to the woman you love can be a daunting task, something that most men avoid these days. But that's all the more reason to do it, because your lady will love you for it. Writing letters of any kind has become an almost lost art in today's high-tech world. There is nothing that can compare with a hand-written letter that you not only composed but wrote on paper with your own hand and pen. It's personal, sexy, unique, and loving, and the recipient will cherish it forever. So, how should you go about writing her a romantic love letter? Things to Avoid: 1. First of all, let's run through a few things not to do when it comes to the process of putting your words on paper. Don't try to make it easy on yourself by writing it on a computer and printing it out. Your own handwriting, however sloppy, will make a much better impression, showing the effort and care you put into it. The only exception to this is if your handwriting is simply and completely illegible - even by you. If you're worried about grammar and spelling, you can write in a word processor with spelling and grammar checking tools to polish it up, and then write it out by hand - a smart use of technology. And don't even think that an email will be as good as a letter, either - email is way too impersonal and ordinary. The same thing only a hundred times more goes for texting on a cell phone - that's not a love letter, that's saying that you don't want to take the time and effort to create a message of love. Your lady deserves much more from you. 2. Don't even think about getting someone else to write your letter - a ghost writer, no matter how well he or she is prepared and knows your partner, can never sound like you or express things the same way you can. There are many examples in literature of the dangers of trying this route, and it never turns out well for the pretender - only for the ghost writer. The same warning stands for copying a letter from the Internet or from another source. It will not sound natural and personal, and it won't stand the sniff test - something will smell funny about the whole thing. You want to be authentic in your love letter, meaning you want to be real, and to be you, and not let someone else's words stand as your own. 3. While you are thinking about the purpose of your letter and the messages you want to get across, don't expect too much or use a letter for the wrong goal. There are times between 2 people when things that need to be said in person need to be said in the flesh, face to face, and not in a letter - even one in your own hand on fancy stationery. It's fair to say that this would include a proposal of marriage, asking forgiveness, and so on. If you have any doubts about whether you should communicate on paper, the best rule is - don't do it. Women (and men for that matter) appreciate honesty and the ability to express difficult sentiments and messages in person, so don't use a love letter for a purpose it can't accomplish. You'll regret it, and you'll end up apologizing for something you hoped would be a good thing. Tips on What You Should Include in the Body Now that you know what not to do, let's move on to how to do it, correctly. 1. The most important first step is mental preparation. Sit down in a quiet, comfortable writing spot with your laptop (for transferring to hand-written form later) or a notepad, but don't start writing just yet. Before beginning, get prepared - think about possible subjects, memories, common interests, favorite movies or songs, just about anything to get your brain and heart working. Now make some notes and keep up the process for a while - don't worry about organizing this is like a brainstorming stage. Your goal should be to make her feel that she is unique and incredibly important to you, that she is a beautiful individual and someone that you love and respect. 2. Next, jot down an outline for your letter. This doesn't have to be formal, it can just be a list, but it will help you to organize your thoughts before you start writing. Think in terms of an introduction, the main part of the letter, and a conclusion, just like a school paper. It's the middle part that will be the most important of course, but you should have some ideas for the beginning and the end as well. As you work on the outline of the body, think about your purpose and goals, and jot them down. 3. A letter always starts with a greeting, what is known as a salutation. Yours should include something about your love that applies only to her, that isn't just a generic Dear Lover sort of thing. If you have a special name for her, or you want to mention a special quality or characteristic that you particularly love, now is the time to do it. The salutation sets the tone for the whole letter, and it sends a message of love at the same time. 4. Next comes the introduction to the letter. Here you should give a brief sketch - without giving away all of your coming content - that discusses how much and why you love her, and then why you are writing a love letter. The idea is to communicate in a sweet, even sexy way how much your relationship means to you, and how important she is in your life. 5. Then give your letter a setting, just like a story. You can begin with a description of your physical surroundings - describe the room or locale where you are working. Talk about how you are feeling at the moment, the current part of the day, the weather outside, the sounds and sights that your senses are picking up right now, your comfort level - anything that will help to set the stage in your lover’s mind for where you are coming from. This will help her picture you in your setting and pay special attention to what you are writing. 6. Now you should concentrate on laying out the reasons you love her so much. Take your time, be honest, but be descriptive and as flowery and sentimental as you want. Don't hold back on the emotions because that's what will shine through your words. And don't worry about mentioning little things - details are important, and you can work your way up to the big reasons as you go. At this stage you want to paint a complete picture of why she is the love of your life and why your love for her is deep and everlasting. The more you write in this part of your letter, the easier it will come, so allow yourself to go on as long as you can - you can edit it later if you want to shorten it at all. 7. If there's a special purpose to your letter other than expressing your love as eloquently and completely as possible, the concluding section is the place to do it. Ask her out on a special date, tell her you want to plan a cruise together, tell her about a special favor you have planned for her, tell her how much you look forward to making love to her again - this is the final impression your letter will leave, so make sure you are being clear and forceful, and that your message of love has been set out and transmitted through your words. 8. Finally, there's the sign-off, and in a love letter it's important to make it special and unique just like your love for her is special and one of a kind. "Yours truly" is not a good idea - again, if you can include a detail about her or an expression or name that only the two of you would understand, so much the better. It's the fitting end to a great love letter, and you wrote it all yourself! *** Chapter 3 Classic Love Letters In the following chapters I have included a large sample of love letters that have been written and shared by my readers for this book. They are organized by the writer’s situation in order to help you find a series of letters that are applicable to your particular situation. They are here to help give you inspiration and ideas to get started. Whilst everyone’s circumstances are different these example love letters are intended to give you the confidence to get started for you should be able to empathize with some of the situations detailed below. Remember each of these letters was started by someone in a similar situation as you so take encouragement from the fact they were able to concur their fears and express their true love in this most poignant of mediums. *** Chapter 4 Marriage love letters My Beautiful Lynda, Hello my precious wife, the joy of my heart, my soul mate and only love. I know this may seem odd to you, getting an actual letter from me rather than a quick text or email to share the moment's news, but I feel a great need to unburden myself of some rather frightening feelings I've been experiencing. Don't worry, there is nothing really wrong, not really, I just need to let you know something before it does become a problem. We have had eleven incredible years together, and I have a beautiful vision of us growing old side by side, watching our future grandchildren enter the world and find the comfort of a loving family to support them. You are my only love, the only one I've really ever had, and I know you will always be that to me. With the birth of each of our lovely children, I have watched you with deep pride and love as you instinctively knew just how to shelter and love our children so that they are secure, healthy and happy in this difficult world. Our family brings me such great joy, but mixed in with it is a growing emptiness, a hollow spot in my heart. Oh, this is going to sound so selfish and typical of a self-centered male, but I miss being the focus of your attention. Intellectually, I fully understand that the children need you right now more than I do, but emotionally, I am to the point where I am getting sadder with each passing day. Remember the bright blue balloon that little Kati carried with us the entire day at the art festival? Then, late that afternoon, the balloon slipped off her little wrist and floated up into the sky. I stood there watching it rise slowly into the clear sky and since it was blue and the sky was blue the balloon seemed to just disappear. Well, it struck me that that is exactly how I feel. I am slowly just disappearing, fading into the background. I was held close for a very long time, then somehow the grip loosened and now I'm just at the whim of the breeze, blowing me gently away from you. The one difference I saw that day was that a whole family watched intently as the balloon drifted away with one of them even crying for its return. When I look at our situation, I don't think anyone even realizes that they are setting me adrift, and certainly, no one is crying for my return. Of course, I realize that you and the kids are not even aware of what I am feeling, until now I guess. So, of course, you are not crying as I drift away because you don't know that I feel like I have been emotionally abandoned. Maybe those are too strong of words, I know you love me and here I am right here with all of you, but I just don't feel like I am wholly present. Does this make sense? Now that I have unburdened myself, I feel rather silly. Maybe I have just imagined all this. We'll talk about it some evening after the kids go to bed. Know you have all my love and I am not blaming you at all, nor am I going anywhere but home to you! With All My Love Forever, [Name Withheld to Protect the Innocent] *** To my dearest wife I treasure the day that I met you, I was in love with you from the first moment I laid eyes on you. Never will I forget your graceful beauty as you walked across the field. You had no idea that I spent that entire day willing myself to speak to you. I'm sure you could smell my fear as I tripped over my words just to ask your name. At that time, never could I have imagined that you would be my wife. It has been three short years since we became husband and wife, and my love for you has grown stronger each day. I would first like to thank you for being the number one source of inspiration in my life; we all know what you have been through over this last year, and the strength and the courage that you have shown has been admirable. I have not met anyone who can bear defeat with a smile on their face. Your wisdom about life is what makes you able to bare the kind of crosses that you do; but when you speak, I could sit and listen to you forever. I always long for one of our conversations to hear your views on this thing that we call life, I have learned so much from you my sweet wife and I thank you for that from the bottom of my heart. I thank you for giving me hope; before we met I was cynical about everything, life, love and the future. You have taught me to see life through your eyes, your vision makes me happy, the way you love life makes me love life, the way you have such a positive outlook on everything makes me do the same. I am a better person because of you, you have made me into the person that I am today, and I will be eternally grateful to you always. I love you more than words can ever say. Your husband [Name Withheld to Protect the Innocent] *** Dear Rita, I'm sitting here in the Atlanta airport thinking about our 10th anniversary next week. I can't wait to see you - though I've only been out on the road this time for a week, it seems like forever. And it's hard to believe we've been married 10 years already - it feels like yesterday, maybe because we still love each other just as much as we did on our wedding day. I want you to know that that wasn't true in my first 2 marriages. Of course, I was in love with both Joan when she and I were married, and with Linda too, but it faded pretty fast, and having a child with each one didn't really help. Yes, we thought it would, but what actually happened was it held us together far too long, for the sake of the child, you know. You and I are special in so many ways, and I know we've talked about how great it would have been to have a child together - my vasectomy years ago was insurance against having another child with Linda. But we both know that because there's no child in the house, we have been able to concentrate on us, and to make our love grow and blossom rather than die from neglect and boredom. I still get excited just thinking about seeing you, touching you, hearing your voice and seeing your smiling face. It wasn't that way even with my high school sweetheart. We also have so much more in common than I ever had with any other women, it really is incredible. We play guitar and sing our own songs together, we spend most of every day I'm not on the road together, we have the same intolerance for materialistic, vain, superficial people, and we both hate sports. I've even been able to get over the fact that you hate Indian food, because there's so many things that we do share, a few differences just don't matter - harmony is better when it's almost but not quite perfect, as we know. Anyway, I'm telling you things you already know, so I'll stop now. But the message I wanted to get across is that I love you like no other woman, and you are the most important person in my life, ever! Happy Anniversary, love you always, see you soon, [Name Withheld to Protect the Innocent] *** Chapter 5 Romantic love letters My Dearest Anna, Tonight a full moon is rising over the city skyline, casting its mellow light on the swiftly moving cars on the city streets I see from my window. Although you are so very far away, it gives me comfort knowing that you might be watching this very same moon rise over the mountains back at home. The distance is so great, yet I know there are things connecting us in this world. The joy we both take in the natural world links us together no matter where we are, as we know the other is appreciating the moonrise, the beauty of a sunset, and the joy of seeing the first blossoms of spring appear on the trees. I can't help but think, though, how much more pleasure I would feel in all of these things if you were right here by my side. It would be infinitely more wonderful! Of course I still love the clouds in the sky, the birds flying free, the scent of springtime flowers, but as I watch, there is so much sorrow filling my lonely heart because you are not right here sharing the experience with me. I miss you so very much, so much that simple words cannot ever express the longing I feel. I wish I were a better writer so I could convey the yearning for your warmth, your smile, your soft voice in my ear. If just for a moment, I could have you here with me, I would, without a doubt, be the happiest man on earth. I'm sure of it. What gets me through this is knowing that it is just a temporary thing. When we look back on it, we may think of it as just a brief time in our lives together. But now, it feels like every minute without you lasts for hours. I look at the clock and simply cannot believe that only ten minutes have passed while I am sitting at the window writing this letter. It feels like a long, hard day has slowly crept by as I sit here missing you with every fiber of my being. I can feel your love in my heart, hear your voice in my mind and even with my eyes open, I see your sweet face smiling at me. It is there constantly, no matter if I am busy at the job site or sitting alone in my room. I know you sometimes think I am not a romantic at heart because I have a hard time opening up and expressing my love. I'm also not the best at remembering to let you know with words and thoughtful gestures how very much I love you. Maybe this will be one of the positive outcomes of this trip away from you! Odd thought, but I am trying to be optimistic here. I think this time apart has actually taught me to get past my silly hang-ups about expressing my overwhelming feelings. So what if I can't find the perfect words, from now on I am going to try my best to let you always know exactly how incredible you make me feel! Oh, I hear a knock on the door; I surely hope there hasn't been an accident on the site. I must go now, but will write to you again tomorrow evening. I miss you more than words can ever express. Yours Forever, [Name Withheld to Protect the Innocent] *** To My Gorgeous Katy, You know I have a very difficult time expressing myself, but I am working extraordinarily hard at overcoming that. I thought writing might help me clearly describe my deepest feelings, letting you see how precious you are to me. It is like the words get frozen tight inside me. I have no problem feeling and thinking about these things, especially about how much I love you, but for some reason I just can't say them with ease. In fact, I definitely remember you saying that was one of the main reasons we broke up last year, so I am really working on fixing it this time. So, here goes. Last year when things came apart between us, I was completely devastated. I honestly thought my life was over, just finished. We were so good together; I loved you so much and never saw the breakup coming. I was so sure you knew that I was devoted to you and you only, but I was apparently wrong. You said I was cold and uncaring, and you couldn't take feeling so unwanted any more. I was simply stunned to hear these words come out of your sweet lips. Stunned into immobility. The shock of realizing how differently we perceived our relationship prevented me from even trying to fix things back then. It took months of sinking into the deepest despair before I could begin to sort out the pattern of what went wrong. Never for a moment did I stop loving you though! And now, now you are back, and my life is once again filled with the joy of being with you. I almost didn't call you to ask if maybe we could try a simple date or two, just for old time's sake. I was so afraid you would turn me down, and now I am positively overjoyed that I took that scary step and picked up the phone. It was like a miracle to me when you said maybe it was worth a try! Oh, to have you back, to have you in my arms as we dance the night away! I missed you so much, I could barely bring myself to even get out of bed in the morning. I'm trying, but words are simply failing me right now. How can I express the great void that filled my life, the darkness that descended on me when you were gone from my life? What I know with total certainty is that our relationship is the most important thing in my life. I am overflowing with love, and I think you are feeling it this time! That's why I'm writing this letter today. This will be something that you can keep and look at if you ever feel any doubts. I'm not even typing and printing it out, I'm writing it by hand, just for you! Please, always know that you mean more to me than anything else in the entire world. I will do everything possible to make it work this time. Simply let me know if I do the slightest thing to cause any doubts in your mind, and I will immediately fix it. You have my everlasting promise, my angel! I Love You with All My Heart, [Name Withheld to Protect the Innocent] *** My Dearest Lady, The day that I met you was the day that my life was changed forever. I waited all of my life to meet a woman like you. As a child I daydreamed about what it would be like to have a woman who was perfect in my eyes. You are everything that I have ever hoped for. Words are too simple to explain the way that I feel about you. Words could never even begin to grasp the emotions that I feel for you. My love for you exceeds the highest mountaintop and is as vast as the deepest ocean’s depth. Your smile, lights my darkest-days. Your caressing touch sends chills down my body. Our love is like no other, we are meant to be together forever. You understand me like no one ever could. Being with you has helped me to understand myself to a greater degree. When I am with you I feel as if I am atop a cloud, watching my life fly by from above. I promise to protect, love and nurture you. I promise to do everything that I possibly can for you. Your happiness is my greatest goal. I feel as if we have met before, in another life, another time. I have never loved another woman before. You stole my heart and made me feel that I wanted more and more. I have always felt that you were sent to me from above. You dropped from the sky like a love struck dove. I will always be here for you through good times and bad, when you are sick, mad or sad. I will take care of you for all of time as long as you promise that you will always be mine. You possess the key to my heart and with our love so strong we will never part. All My Love [Name Withheld to Protect the Innocent] *** My Love, I can only try to put into words the deep love I have for you in my heart. When I wake up each morning, I am so grateful and feel so fortunate to have you in my life. You are always a bright ray of sunshine on even the cloudiest of days. Without you and your amazing, uplifting spirit, my life would constantly be overcast. The world can sometimes be a challenging place, and it is easy for some couples to fall into ruts but with you and your love, this could never happen. You approach each day with a fun, uplifting zest for life, and it is absolutely contagious. Your fun, free spirit makes each new morning feel like an adventure, instead of a routine. Just seeing your smile and the sparkle of life in your eyes lifts me up and makes me feel so alive each and every day. With you, the glass is always half full instead of half empty. You are continually optimistic and ready to take the challenges of life head on, instead of admitting defeat. I am constantly in awe of your response to any obstacles that come our way. You have the ability to find the good in everything, and appreciate each new dawn as a gift to be treasured. Sweetheart, you also are a gift to be treasured. I love you - you are my best friend and bring so much fun and joy into our relationship. I don't know how you do it, but you even have the ability to make a quiet night at home exciting and filled with laughter and smiles. Your laugh is like music to me - it is the most beautiful sound and brings smiles to the faces of anyone who is near you. So my love, thank you for bringing all of this magic into my world. I will hold your hand forever, and be grateful each day that I have such a beautiful woman to share my life with. All my love, [Name Withheld to Protect the Innocent] *** Chapter 6 Sad Love Letters My sweetest Amy, I am sitting here looking at your empty chair at the kitchen table and trying to hold myself together. I probably shouldn't be writing this, but you always remind me to express what I am feeling, so here goes. I know you need me to be strong, and I will be, but at the moment, I am feeling so lonely and so terribly worried. Sitting at our table, usually filled with delicious food and surrounded with laughter, is so difficult without your cheerful presence here to calm my heart. I simply cannot fathom why you have been struck down by this horrible, unfair illness, you of all people! Your incredible kindness, joy of life and shining example to all of us are a daily inspiration for me. You are my life, my joy and my only love and always will be. Ah, there is the essence of what I need to cling to, you always will be! This is just a temporary test of our strength. You will recover and our lives will return to normal. I'm sure of it. You are surrounded by the finest, most experienced doctors we could find, and I know they will perfectly do their job and pull you through this. It takes more than just doctors though, and in addition to them you have all my love and tender thoughts and the same coming from everyone in your gracious family. They are an incredible help for me too. Just like your beautiful optimism, you mother and sisters can cheer me up even on the darkest days. Thank you for bringing such amazing people into my life. Oh dear, I'm not sure I have thanked them for all they are doing for us. See, without you here I even forget my manners! I have been trying my best to keep the house in good order while you are gone, but everywhere I go in this house reminds me of your absence. I see you trying on your new dress and smiling at your reflection in the mirror, I think I smell your luscious cooking when I open the front door after work only to find an empty kitchen, and how empty the bed feels without the comfort of your warmth next to me. Ah, I am doing it again, feeling like a ghost wandering through a silent house. If only the hospital were closer, I could spend the nights near you and still be able to get up and go to work. I feel so awful that they won't give me time off so I can be there for you every moment of your stay in the hospital. I may not send this letter on to you; I certainly don't intend to burden you with my sadness when you need every speck of your strength to battle the cancer. But, just writing this has put hopefulness into my soul, as I know you will recover and our relationship will be stronger than ever, and our days together will be long and full of joy and love. You are the world to me...and always will be! I will love you forever! [Name Withheld to Protect the Innocent] *** To the love of my life You occupy a space in my heart and soul that no one will ever be able to replace. There are no words to describe how much I miss you. No words that can ever take away the pain that I feel. No words to describe how much I love you. I don't know how I am going to cope without you. I am just grateful for the time that we shared together, it was too short; but I got to spend time with an angel, and I will treasure those memories until the day that I die. Even though you are gone, I see you in the eyes of our beautiful boys every day, they look so much like you, and are a constant reminder of why I have to stay strong. They miss their mummy so much; I tell them not to worry because you are in heaven I tell them that God wanted you to do something for him so he had to call you upstairs, but that we will all meet again when God calls us upstairs. It makes things easier for them but it is still hard, I know you are watching over us, guiding us and giving me the strength that I need to keep on going. Even though we knew it was the end, it does not and will not make your departure any easier. I admire how you had the strength to plan out how we were going to raise the children, the letters that you wrote to them, the things that you want me to tell them about you. You had more energy than me doing those things and you were the one whose life was slipping away. I tell them how much you love them every day, and I read your letters to them every morning and night, we carry you in our hearts each day. You are a shining star, the brightest one in the sky. I long for the day when we will meet again my sweet love. I love you. [Name Withheld to Protect the Innocent] *** Dear Rachel, I hope you're not getting tired of these letters - at least it's just once a year on Valentine's Day that I write to you. I know, it's romantic and silly at the same time, but I started 10 years ago and I just can't seem to stop. It helps me get through the cruel irony that you passed away on this day, of all days! First of all, let me give you an update on the family. Emmie and her husband are doing just fine, and so are the grandkids. They did have to move out of their house (I saw the moving truck one day), but they seem to be OK in their rented place. Josh finally met a girl he has stayed with for over a year - I've seen them at the Tastee Freeze 2 summers in a row now. They look happy, just like we were so many summers ago. And of course good old Tom is still doing great from all appearances - I stop by the hardware store once a week or so and have a chat with him - he still has that great dry sense of humor which helps me through. My special memory for this year is the time we went to that concert at Golden Gate Park, against our parents' wishes of course. It was our summer of love and I'll never forget how beautiful you were in the sun, with the brightly colored balloons and the incense filling our senses, and the music playing on and on. Fantastic, beautiful, trippy music that we'll never hear again, because it really died a long time ago. But that memory is better in its box, where it stays with the other sad ones. I only bring out the good ones these days, since they seem to help me cope with life without you. Until next year, All my love, [Name Withheld to Protect the Innocent] *** Chapter 7 Sweet love letters Hello My Sweetheart, I know this is an unusual time for me to be writing a letter, as it is 3 am and I should be soundly sleeping, but I was awakened in absolute terror by a dream of you leaving me without a word. You just tossed your engagement ring at me, said nothing at all, turned and walked away. There were tears streaming down my cheeks when I startled awake. As you know, I'm off on another business trip trying to let them know just how serious I am about taking a step up in our department. If I can just get this promotion, I know it will be worth all the time and effort I have put into this. But, this dream, and I usually don't even dream, has me frightened that I may be risking having to pay a horrible price for success. If I lost you, I don't know what I would do. Nothing is worth that. I'm so afraid you don't know how much I love you, especially since we have had so little time together in the past few months. So, let's see if I can try to explain why I've thought the promotion is so important. It is for us I am doing it, for our future together. We have put off the wedding until we are both financially secure, and I am hoping this promotion will bring the start of our life together a little closer. But, this crazy dream made me realize that if I don't assure you of my undying love for you, we may never have a life together. Please, tell me I haven't risked this. It would be so tragic since we are so close to our goals. You already have the ideal position in your company, so I know you have been ready for our life to begin. I just want to do my part so we can live in comfort rather than in fear of financial struggles. Let me tell you now just how much I really love you. There is nothing in the world more important to me than just being with you, loving you and finding pleasure in life together. With you by my side, I am complete, happy and much more than that, I'm on top of the world! Sometimes I think we shouldn't worry so much about money, maybe we could be totally happy just being together and enjoying the simple pleasures of life. But, boy, that is hard for me to consider after growing up in such a poor family and seeing how it tore my parents apart. So please know that you are everything, absolutely everything to me. I can hardly wait to get back home and see you and tell you all of this in person. Maybe if I hold your hand while we sit by the fire, looking deeply into your gorgeous brown eyes, you will know I really mean it. You make me so very happy and without you I would be nothing. So, have patience, it's only a few more weeks and I'll know if I got the promotion. And, you know what? Even if I don't get it, I think we should go ahead and get married before the holidays! I love you so much! [Name Withheld to Protect the Innocent] *** Dear Bess, I am writing this letter sitting in a gloomy bus station in Nashville, waiting for the bus back home. There are bums out on the street, and the whole dingy place smells like cigarettes and diesel smoke. But I don't care about the ambiance - I feel nothing but sheer happiness at the thought of coming home to you, my sweet, darling wife. You know I had to try to make it in this business, and you know that I'll always be a singer, but Nashville is not a friendly place, and it's hard to get anyone to listen. But you always listened in your own supportive, understanding and optimistic way. And I am absolutely sure that you have never stopped believing in me. You don't know how much that means to me now, sitting here feeling like a failure. I know that until this trip, we were probably both a little inexperienced with the big wide world. After all, our world has always been the little town of Mason where we grew up, fell in love and stayed in love. We probably thought that everyone here in the big city would be just like us and our friends in Mason. But the world is full of sour, unhappy people who can really bring a man down. Having a beautiful wife like you waiting for me at home is like seeing the sunshine breaking through the clouds. Your sweet disposition and sunny nature make every day with you a pleasure and a joy. You always know how to turn my frown upside down and make the world a good place again. When I get back I'm going to sit down with my old guitar and write a song for you. It will be called "Sweet Bess, the Love of My Life." And then I'm going to come up with some songs about this whole trip, and record it in our home studio, have a hit record, and make it big! On the other hand, even if we just keep on living like we have been, I will never stop loving you! See you soon! All my love, [Name Withheld to Protect the Innocent] *** The love of my life, Each of my days has been quite special and there have been a lot of good tidings that have come my way. From the beautiful woman who is by my side as I wake up each morning, and the wonderful feel of her body next to mine. My heart swells with joy and love as I watch you sleep next to me and know that heaven must have really meant for us to be. For there can never be anything this perfect if it is not the will of the Almighty. There is no treasure more precious to me. To me you are not only special but also ideal. I have loved you from the first moment I saw you and will love you to the end of my life. You have given me joy, you have shared my troubles, you have shown me love and you have been there through my struggles. Our marriage has been a wonderful experience even when we have had moments that tested our resilience. Through you I have seen that there is nothing greater than love, and in my heart there is no one who can replace you my love. In your arms I have felt joy, in your heart I have found love, in your actions I have seen caring and in you I have a wife. You are a dream come true, you are a prayer answered, you are my one and only yet you are my everything. I will work hard for you, I will stay true to you, I will be there for you and I will love you. Through the sun and the stars, through the sad and the bad my promise to you will remain true no matter what we go through. And that promise is that I will always love you! Love, Your husband [Name Withheld to Protect the Innocent] *** My Dearest Cyndee, I am so incredibly proud of you! I know I have told you in person, but I thought that maybe a letter would be an even more emphatic and lasting way of telling you that I am so impressed, so full of pride, and, of course, overflowing with love for you at this important time in your life! Perhaps I haven't been as understanding as I should have been over the years while you worked so hard at getting your accountancy qualification, but please know that was because of my own selfish needs. I always supported you in your effort, even if it didn't quite seem that way to you. I really do realize that one of my biggest faults is being a bit too self-centered. Ah, I can hear you giggling as you read this- you know better than I do about my faults! So, I got a bit sidetracked again, always about me isn't it? Sometimes I wonder how you have put up with me all these years. You are an amazing woman; do I really deserve someone as wonderful as you? Please say yes! You know, you are probably right that I have a touch of insecurity that makes me focus on myself too much - see, you are always correct! Ah, my beautiful, intelligent love of my life, what in the world would I do without you? So, now, I promise the remainder of this letter will be about you and about us, not just me! I can hardly wait for this weekend and your big celebration. You know I will have an amazing gift to surprise you with, I suppose I can tell you that part without spoiling the surprise. You'll just have to spend the rest of the week wondering what it could possibly be. I will tell you that it is something you have wanted for a long time- no, it's not a new computer. I'm really trying to get better about expressing my undying love for you and this gift will help me do it. OK, I might be giving too much away; you will just have to wait and see! Will you be ready to leave on our holiday right after the party or will we be waiting until the next morning? Won't it be incredible to spend a whole week together with no work, no emergencies, no calls from our bosses? I simply can't believe we are really going to have all that time for just you and me, together and in love and enjoying a spectacular holiday. I see us letting all our cares go for a week while having fun by the seaside. We'll spend our days delighting in the waves and sun and our evenings delighting in each other! I love you so much; yes I certainly do, so much that sometimes it simply overwhelms me! And, for that wonderful week, I am going to try my hardest to let you know how proud of you I am and how in love with you I am. Maybe it will become a habit- ah, there you are giggling again! Thank heavens you have such a sparkling sense of humor! With All My Love, [Name Withheld to Protect the Innocent] *** Chapter 8 Conclusion I trust that by now you have a fair idea on how to get started on the road to writing a romantic love letter to the love of your life. They truly can be the most memorable and thoughtful gifts anyone can receive so do take the time to commit your thoughts and feelings to paper for they will be gratefully received. Remember that the letter does not have to be perfect but you should be free to share your genuine love, affection and respect without judgment. Just let your inner voice flow beautifully onto the paper and the rest, as they say, will take of itself. The most important action is to get started. Turn off the TV, your mobile phone and any instant messaging service you may be signed into your computer, sit down in a quiet place and start the process of writing. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you can get into the flow with your emotions. And remember your action has the chance to shock and amaze your loved one in a way you never thought possible so keep that in mind as you get underway and get started now! ### Connect with Me Online: Twitter: http://twitter.com/romancenvrdie Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/romanceneverdies Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/gracepamer My blog: http://www.romanceneverdies.com