The Love-Letter Cycle

How old were you when you received your first love letter?

The first love letter I remember getting was at school when I was in the third grade. I saw the boy next to me stuff something in the back of my tote tray in a trying-to-be-subtle-but-super-obvious way. I remember cringing to myself and thinking, "What is he up to now?" Right away I was determined to know his mischief. My teacher was lecturing so I tried to be quiet as I gingerly opened my tote tray to discover a folded piece of paper. 

This is exactly what it said inside (along with his punctuation errors, mind you):

Dear, Brenda

I love you

George

His name wasn't really George, but for our purposes it is. And you know what? I was no longer irked with him, but suddenly fancied myself in love with him too (this is when you sigh a cute, little, 'aaaahhh!').

Growing up I wished that love could be that simple, as simple as a child sees it. It's beautiful, isn't it? Children give "I love you" notes to lots of people all the time. Why? Because they truly love people. Now why does love get so complicated when we grow up? I don't know if any of us really know the reason, but we all know that it does. This is what love letters might turn into a couple of years later.

Hi. I like you. Will you go out with me?

I wonder, what does that really mean anyway? Did anybody ever go anywhere together? From what I remember it meant that you could wave shyly to a boy across the playground and giggle with your friends when he smiled back and say, "That's my boyfriend."

And then we move onto Junior High. Wow, are things complicated at this age! It is still acceptable to write your "crush" a note but certainly NOT acceptable to tell your admirer who you are. These letters go something like this:

Toby,

I think you are really cool. You have cool hair.

Love,

?????

But let's be clear that giving clues as to your identity is okay. For instance you might say, 

ps. My hair is long. I am in Mr. Knickerbocker's TLC class with you. 

Okay. Now we get to High School. Scary stuff. There is no way to explain all the complications of love during this awesome, amazing...horrific time of puberty. Love letters can be anywhere from: 

Hi! You totally rock! Let's hang out later! 

to 

You are SO smart and SO talented and you have the prettiest eyes I have ever seen. 

to

You are the deepest, deepest love of my life. I will NEVER love anyone as much as I love you!

Yikes! Yikes! Yikes!

A while back during one of my spring cleaning ventures I actually found a box of "love" letters I had kept from High School! I thought, 'why on earth have I kept these?' and promptly discarded them. That is, after I read a few. And maybe a few more. 

But, I can tell you how some of them read. Since I won't give you this person's real name, for now I will just call him Stud. 

Dear Brenda,

You are so AWESOME! Can I walk you to choir?

Stud

And I'm sure I had written back,

Dear Stud, 

YOU are so awesome! Of course you can! 

Yes, my love letters were very deep (and certainly correct grammar was not necessary in our correspondence).

Then, I found some that were pretty deep for a high schooler, but the thought of them makes me want to puke, so you will have to just use your imagination on that score.

Now that I am married, the love letters I receive from my husband are short and the best of the best. 

A simple note on the message board on the fridge, 

XOXOXOXOXOXO

It's perfect. No oogily words are necessary to know this great man loves me. 

And now I receive the sweetest notes from my children--the simple, pure, unashamed declarations of love:

MOM

I LOVE YOU

Accompanied by two stick figures holding hands, one short, one tall.

Now it seems that the love letters of life have come full circle. What a beautiful thing.