I am blessed to be a penpal to an 85 year old Christian woman, Sally. She lost her husband a few years ago and is now living alone in their old farmhouse. She has neighbors and relatives who love her and check in on her often.
As a little girl going to church, my family sat in the pew in front of Roger and Sally. So, she watched me grow up, meet Rich, and get married. Her letters have been a tool in God’s hands to get me to think about life and what matters most.
Todaywould have been Roger and Sally’s 61st anniversary and I thought it would be nice to share some quotes from her letters.
“If I could live my life over I would work harder when I was young instead of being so world crazy–and would have been nicer to Roger all the years we were married. We had a great life but now he is gone, I wish I had done so much more, he was so good.”
“My parents were very thoughtful of each other. She always was cooking something that he especially liked. He always was sure her wood box was full and had plenty of water, so she wouldn’t have to carry a lot.”
“Back then, that was the way you showed you cared. There was very little touching in front of the kids (you just didn’t do those things) but they made 8 kids so there must of been a lot of lovin’ in there somewhere.”
“We didn’t have anything but kids, but there was always a lot of caring.”
“We always said, ‘Life begins when the kids are gone and the day dies’ and it did!!”
“We just enjoyed being together, if we were working, taking long walks in the woods, or relaxing on the back lawn in our easy chairs (eating ice cream).”
“Roger used to stir things for me, at the last, when my hands and arms would ache. Whatever I made, I made a little something for him to sample.”
“We were married on Valentine’s Day 1946, so we were always putting heart notes in places, lunch pails, pillows, on steering wheels, in boots or shoes–just fun things. I miss these things so much now.”
O my Luve’s like a red, red rose.
That’s newly sprung in June:
Oh my Luve’s like the melodie
That’s sweetly play’d in tune.
As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’the seas gang dry.
Till a’the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’the sun;
And I will luve thee still, my dear
While the sands o’life shall run.
And fare thee weel, my only Luve!
And fare thee weel awhile!
And I will come again, my luve,
Tho’ it were ten thousand mile.
Robert Burns
Why do I love you-for the gifts you bring
The pretty things that anyone could buy?
Ah, you are more to me than breath could sing,
Than tongue could tell, however hard I try.
I love you for the thrill of your hand on mine
Can give, like fire running through dry grass;
I love you for the pregnant silence, dear,
That falls upon our souls like God’s own place,
And for our trust at death alone to cease,
Such little things to love you for, you say?
You know what’s locked within
my heart each day!
Elizabeth Shaw Montgomery
I dearly hope that this Valentine’s day finds you in love with the people in your life and especially our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
“And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us” Ephesians 5:1
“heart notes”
Good to be Home 