Category Archives: Remembering

Young Love (#64)

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Although we had “said it all” in letters to each other, Nate and I never tired of reading the “I love you’s” and “I can’t wait’s.” We wrote of our undying devotion to each other many times every day, doing our best to bridge the distance across 3 wide states that separated us.

It was satisfying to envision the life we would have together. Unfortunately, we had none of the actual details: a place to live, a way to support ourselves, the wherewithal to make these changes, or a timetable. Although we thought we were moving forward, none of the important things were being decided. And the days were ticking away.

looking-aheadJuly 17, 1969 – To my wonderful Fiancé. I love you afresh this morning as I awake to a new day of life, bursting with thoughts of a partnership with you, my favorite of all men. I have chosen you above all others. And somehow, by God’s grace and love, even before I was able to choose you, you chose me. I can’t even express my gratitude properly on this sheet of paper. I will be so grateful, day after day, year after year, for you loving me first… long enough and strong enough (with very little encouragement in the beginning), to allow me eventually to make up for the time lost, and love you in return. Oh boy! Do I ever love you!

July 17, 1969 – Dearest Meg. In our last phone call, when you said that if you had the power to change anything about me you wouldn’t, I was overwhelmed. That thought has stuck in my mind. It has stayed with me through all my hours of sleep and is the first thing I think of each morning. I’ve thought about it all through writing my letters to you and still retain it now. Thank you so much for saying it, and thank you forever for feeling it! I reciprocate all your love and would never change one thing about you, either. Oh how I love Meg!

July 17, 1969 – Dear Nate. How can I ever adequately thank you for what the mail brought to me today – 14 postcards, 3 letters, and a special delivery letter, all in one day! Today I was thinking back to our very first meeting in the Evanston “Huddle” restaurant with our college friends. I was so impressed with you that night, but who would ever have thought that we’d go from ice cream sundaes all the way to marriage! Just beautiful….

china-silver-crystalJuly 17, 1969 – Dearest Meg. Thank you for sharing with me all the details of the wedding planning. I like to envision you shopping for your gown, invitations, crystal, glass, and china. Let me know all the wonderful details. I respect your taste and choices a great deal. When you say you’ve bought some new clothes, my desire is to see you model them immediately. And when you say you’ve bought a peignoir, I about go crazy. You’re a beautiful woman, so sexy and desirable.

July 17, 1969 – Dear Nate. If you were in this room with me right now, would you ever get the loving! I feel physical affection only toward you! I got a hint at what our wedding gifts might be like last night. I was up at the folks’ house with Mary and Bervin. They had brought a trailer to remove all of their wedding gifts from the parents’ house in preparation for their move to the smaller house, and you should have seen the boxes! After dinner with the parents, we took all these gifts to a locker in a warehouse Bervin has downtown and stacked them up – a giant wall of boxes! It sure was fun to spend time with them. Our project took over 4 hours, but we messed around a lot of that time, too. You were greatly missed. Can’t wait for us to be a foursome — one that will last for many years!

happy-foursome

“Wait for your God always.” (Hosea 12:6)

Young Love (#62)

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Although the distance between Nate and I was taking its toll, graduation and the end of his Army stint were finally coming into view. We could also see God’s gifts of encouragement and blessing in each day, things like my mother’s letter to Nate and all 4 parents having embraced our plans to marry in November.

I still didn’t have a teaching position in Champaign, but that didn’t stop us from planning to move me down there regardless, even if I had to go back to waitressing. We were done with being apart.

rose-colored-glassesNate began to wax eloquent in his letters as he described me, writing down his every positive thought. Of course he was looking through the rose colored glasses of a passionate love, which made some of his statements enormously exaggerated. But I’ll share them here anyway:

 

July 14, 1969 – Dearest Meg. I want to tell you something I’ve known for quite a while but am first writing here. Due to my mother’s and grandmothers’ decency, probity, grace and faith, I have always had a high idea of women in general. My standards for dates have inevitably been high – both in terms of morals and manners. Meg, you have surpassed any of my best dreams!

banana-splitJuly 14, 1969 – Dear Nate. You just called me! I am so exhilarated that I feel like running out and buying a banana split! You couldn’t possibly have called at any better moment. Tonight I needed a conversation with you more than ever. I feel like enclosing a check, not necessarily to pay for the phone call, but just because you are terrific, and I want to express it by giving you some money! I love, love, LOVE you, and I’m yours completely, now and forever.

July 14, 1969 – Dearest Meg. You have surpassed my dating standards for these reasons: you are religious without being religiose, arrogant or preachy; you demonstrate your faith; you are generous with your time and physical affection; you understand my needs, wants, and aspirations; you comfort me and build me up; you’ve never have a snippy period without an apology, obviously genuine; you are a beautiful woman… with only a few faults, all outweighed by virtues; you are physically attractive yet not vain; you always compliment my looks and clothes, which makes me receptive to your suggestions on grooming; and your creativity astounds me. Oh, I love you!

sparkling-ringJuly 14, 1969 – Dear DEAR Nate! A short while ago, as I was driving home with my hand on the steering wheel, the sun caught my ring, and all the colors of the rainbow flashed up at me. It’s so beautiful, and I love it so much! Thank you for giving it to me!

July 15, 1969 – Dearest Meg. Today I’m thinking about your regard for your folks and their feelings as you go home to help them prepare for their move. I love your elemental Christian concern for them. I also admire your respect for your aunts and my folks and your solicitous inquiries about my brother. You are a considerate woman. These are just a few lines from your weekend warrior, fiancé, true love, future husband and father of your four babies – an extra letter to let you know I realize and appreciate your virtues and believe in you, feel totally secure in you, and miss you so bad I could cry like a little boy.

“The fruit of the Spirit is… patience.” (Galatians 5:22)

Young Love (#61)

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Although Nate’s letters didn’t indicate any uncertainties over the incident with my old boyfriend, surely it discouraged him. Part of the problem (for both of us) was our need to be together, which was frustrated by circumstances that wouldn’t allow it – and both of us were suffering as a result. I made an appointment with our pastor, thinking we could use his counsel, not just about the wedding ceremony but everything else, too. It was arranged in August, during family week at camp when Nate and I wouldn’t be counseling. Perfect timing.

July 17, 1969 – Dear Nate. Everything is all set to meet with Pastor Sweeting in a wedding “conference” set up for the Wednesday in August when we won’t be at camp. It will be good to talk to him. My roommate came home tonight after 2 weeks away, and I’m so glad. I’ve missed talking with her so much. Marti is a true friend. She was excited to see our ring and thinks it’s gorgeous. I get fonder and fonder of it every day, and fonder and fonder of my commitment to you every day, too! I need you with me in so many ways, but most of all because I love you soooo much!

July 17, 1969 – Dearest Meg. I think your old boyfriend knows now, completely and honestly, of our engagement, and I don’t feel further explanations can do anything – either be more considerate of his feelings or more explicit. I know you agree that any meeting with him is unfair to our relationship. I love you. Thank you for your letter. I understand your situation and think you handled him and his friend brilliantly. I’ll love you forever! And I hope you will come on Sunday.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When it didn’t work out for me to visit that Sunday, Nate grew discouraged. But just when his spirits were lagging badly, he got a jolt of encouragement from an unlikely source:

my mom.

moms-letter-to-nate

Her letter (written with red ink on pink paper) arrived at Ft. Riley full of loving words and a welcome into our family. I didn’t know she’d planned to write him but was delighted when he phoned on a pre-arranged Saturday night call and read her words to me:

Dear Nathan: Thanks for your kind letter. Congratulations on your engagement to Margaret. May you have “the peace of God which passeth all understanding” in your life together. We lovingly welcome you into our family. The ring you gave your wife-to-be is exquisite: we are overwhelmed with its size.

From birth until even today, Margaret has been a “joy and light” in our home, truly a gift from God. In all likelihood, Meg will belong to you far longer than she’s been our little girl, but in your own well-chosen words, she will forever be “Margaret who we love.” Agreed? Settled!

the-letterWe love you likewise, dear Nathan.

It was a pleasure to meet your parents. Your mother wrote a sweet note to us, offering help with the wedding and in any area needed. Rest assured the Nymans and Johnsons are counting their mutual blessings in the union of their Nathan and our Margaret.

                      Fondly, Evelyn Johnson

 

“Love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8)