Today is a day that is very near and dear to me, one I think is very important. It is National Love Note Day. People have been writing and receiving love letters for centuries. They were first made famous by romantics like Lord Byron and William Shakespeare during the 1700s in Europe. A love note is a way to express your feelings to your loved one in written form. It can be as short, long, or fancy as you wish.
My husband always wrote me notes. He would put them in my lab coat pocket, on the bathroom mirror, on my pillow, everywhere. He would spend a lot of time looking through cards on each occasion. He wanted to make sure he picked out the perfect one that said what he wanted to say to me. When he became bedridden he was so hurt because he couldn't buy me cards. I would give him a pad of paper and colored pens and tell him to write his own. I kept each card and note he ever wrote me, each one showed his thoughts and feelings about me, and how much he loved me. After he passed away, my father made a wooden box for me. On the top he placed a heart that my husband had made for a quilt hanger. I filled the box with the cards and notes, and it began to overflow, filled with the love he had for me. I still find notes that he wrote to me, and I filled another box with the cards and notes I wrote to him. Now that he is gone, I can pull out the box and read through the notes and still feel his love.
My stepson recently started a new job that required him to be away from home for 8 weeks, leaving behind his wife and baby girl. One of the first things I asked him is if he had some stationary to write to his wife. He laughed and said he had email and text messages. While that is all fine and good, it still doesn’t replace the hand written note you can hold onto and save. I sent him several blank cards and a book of stamps so he could surprise his wife with his handwritten sentiments.
Of course writing love notes aren't just for your spouse or special someone, but also your children as well. They need to know that they are loved too. When I packed my son a lunch for school I would put a note in, or cut his sandwich with a heart shaped cookie cutter, or some other way to show him that I love him, and was thinking about him. One day I was mad at him for something, I dont remember what, but by way of apologizing to me, he wrote a conversation we frequently had and slipped it to me. I have kept it with me every day since then.
It is so easy to get wrapped up in the small, insignificant aspects of life. Love Note Day reminds us to recognize those important things in your life like the people that you love. So take out an old fashioned pen and paper and write a love note for your loved one, letting them know just how much they mean to you.
Years ago, while a much younger man and deployed around the world is where I learned the importance of writing letters and love note to my wife and family. It was during those few minutes each day that I was able to connect to them and express my feelings and wish them well. Love notes continue to be written without any special occasion, just to let them know how special they are. (Akindman)
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