Today I have a smile on my face. The weather is beautiful and free of all the heat and humidity we have been experiencing. Secondly, my husband is having a good day, and he just had a good therapy session. Finally, I just finished reading some letters my husband, Wayne, and I wrote to each other in 1970 and 1971 before we were married.

When I was on Denise’s Table Talk Show on Saturday Denise asked me how Wayne and I met and fell in love. As part of the story I told her that we dated from April of 1970 to the end of the school year, and then we dated again in the next school year until our marriage on July 30, 1971 (I was a teacher then).

I went home to my parent’s house during the summers. He also went to summer camp for the Army Reserves both summers. The first summer I also spent 6 weeks involved in a summer mission program, and the second summer I was at my parent’s home preparing for our wedding in my home town and state while he was getting things squared away in WI for our first home.

While I was on Denise’s Table Talk show Denise asked me if I saved the letters that we sent back and forth to each other those two summers. I said I had. That inspired me to dig them out of their box and reread them. That was a real joy to me, and I found myself smiling often. The first summer Wayne was more sure of his feelings for me than I was for him. I knew I liked him, but I needed to be sure about love and marriage. The next summer when we were corresponding we were engaged, and both of us were sure of our love for each other. It was fun to reread about our young love.

I thought rereading these old letters might make me feel a little sad thinking back to those days and comparing it with the life we now live dealing with Wayne’s neurological condition. I guess it does a little. We have matured so much since those early days, however, and I am glad for that growth in maturity. I actually probably feel more sad about no longer being able to do some of the fun things we did together during our “empty nest” years.

So reading those letters put a smile on my face. It reminds me of what was, and it reminds me of the beginning of our love. I love reading inspirational romance books (Christian romance books) as a way to relax. Reading these letters was a little like that except it was my story. Today I have a smile on my face.

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