Wedding Blog

I keep things. Little mementos like fall leaves collected from walks in far away lands and simple one word cards. I keep programs from plays I’ve attended and tickets from movies I’ve seen. I keep safe the letters from my high school sweetheart, my soon to be new husband, and the notes, cards and words of wisdom written to me by my parents while I was away at college. And I’ve also managed to keep, somehow, two letters from Granddaddy.

Granddaddy was not a man of many words. His letters, one written on the occasion of my 15th birthday and the other upon my high school graduation, are short and sweet and, though they are simple, they capture in a few words all of his humor and remind me of his love. I find myself laughing with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes when I read them now.

I went through my letter box the other day and, as I was reading these special letters from a man who passed away so many years ago, I noticed the date on one - May 25, 1994. This year, on May 24 I will become someone’s wife. And even though I was a high school graduate then, I will on that day graduate to the next part of my life, making this letter just as relevant today as it was then and even more special.

It reads:

” My Dear:
Congratulations to my graduate! You are off to a great start. Keep it that way by giving everything your best…and when in doubt always do the right thing.

Much Love,
Granddaddy “