“LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED”

Paul McCartney summed up Valentine’s Day with the lyrics of his song “Love is All You Need”. The universal day of lovers need not be an expensive, commercial time but rather one of expressing your love for those people you love and cherish.

Why not write each other a love letter? A letter is a precious thing, a first-hand account of another person’s innermost thoughts at a given moment of time; a tangible record of direct, open communication between the writer and the reader.

A letter travels some distance from the author to the recipient, the envelope plastered with stamps, perhaps franked with the names of faraway places. Your letter is able to pass through time zones, across borders, sometimes via air or sea……..travelling from distant places you have only heard about! Words travel well, tucked safely inside their snug envelope, and often the receiver will take a few moments to sit down in a quiet place, perhaps with a cup of tea, before slitting open the envelope to read the precious contents.

Do you have a sense of excitement and anticipation when you hold the envelope in your hand? Does it contain good, much anticipated news, or maybe bad, or sad, news? Perhaps you sniff the envelope to gain a quick scent of the origin of the writer, or maybe the envelope has a lipstick-stained kiss on it or the initials S.W.A.L.K. (Sealed with a loving kiss)

Writers of love letters carefully select the words used in a handwritten letter as they seem to carry more weight that an impersonal typed letter. Reading words that have been scratched into the page or perhaps blurred when tears made the ink run really has a different kind of emotional impact on the reader. Consider also, the difference between letters handwritten with a fountain pen (perhaps in violet or sepia ink) to those printed via a computer printer.

One of the greatest writers of love letters was the late US President, Ronald Reagan, who was prolific in declaring his love for his wife, Nancy. Printed below is a letter her wrote to her while he was in office.

Aboard Air Force One
4^th March 1983

Dear First Lady,

I know tradition has it that on this day I place cards, Happy Anniversary cards, on your breakfast tray. But things are somewhat mixed up. I substituted a gift and delivered it a few weeks ago.

Still this is the day, the day that marks 31 years of such happiness as comes to few men. I told you once that it was like an adolescent’s dream of what marriage should be like. That hasn’t changed.

You know I love the ranch but these two days made it plain I only love it when you are there. Come to think of it, that’s true of every place and every time. When you aren’t there, I’m no place; just lost in space and time.

I more than love you. I’m not whole without you. You are life itself to me. When you are gone, I’m waiting for you to return so I can start living again.

Happy Anniversary and thank you for 31 wonderful years. I love you.

Your grateful husband,      Ronnie

After the late President’s death, Mrs Reagan collected all of the shopping bags (she’d stored Ronnie’s letters in these) which she had printed into a book, “I Love You, Ronnie”, with the proceeds of sale to be sent to the Alzheimer’s Association of America.

Are your letters gathered together in different sized bundles and tied together with various coloured ribbons?  Many families do not realise what a treasure trove is tucked away in assorted shoe and glove boxes. They should ensure that each letter is protected by being placed in a special (Mylar) sheet and stored in archival boxes – it is part of your family heritage.

Have you considered writing a love story for your lover, with the two of you as the leading characters? Print it off on some special paper and tie it with a red ribbon. Perhaps it could be the story of how you both met and fell in love – amazingly you will both have different recollections of this event! Imagine how delighted your grandchildren will be to discover how strong the bond of love was when you were younger, as they see you with grey hair and glasses!

Scanning your love letters and posting them into your family vault in the Treasury of Heritage is an ideal way to store your love letters, photos, memorabilia (such as heart shaped Valentine’s cards) and any other family love tokens you have discovered.  Make a start by sorting through your letters and saving them as a part of your family heritage in your personal Treasury of Heritage vault. Your family will be enthralled to read of their parents or grandparents love for each other in years to come.

“Love is a promise, Love is a souvenir,

Once given, never forgotten, Never let it disappear”

John Lennon, singer/songwriter.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 4th, 2010 at 11:52 am and is filed under Annie's Heart to Heart. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.