Young Love (#39)

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Once the letters began successfully flying back and forth between Ft. Riley and Chicago, engagement plans began to solidify. Nate’s father owned a jewelry store in the Nyman’s home town and said he could order the ring for us. When we were window shopping together in the Chicago stores, Nate had listened to my comments carefully and knew it should be a narrow band, something simple, in yellow gold.

Unbeknownst to me, he called his father from his post in Kansas and ordered the ring. His plan was to officially propose on the 4th of July when he hoped I would come for a visit, but there was no guarantee the ring would be set and sent by then.

romansJune 17, 1969 – Dearest Meg. I love you so much and am praying continually for both of us. God hears and rewards prayer with answers. In the book of Romans, Paul says faith is trusting God, and this opens the Christian life. Let’s always pray and have a Christian home for our babies. I’m eager for the 4th of July when you come!

June 17, 1969 – Dear Nate. It’s Monday morning, but I’m home from work today, “sick.” I don’t have the flu or anything, but I laid out in the sun for 5 hours yesterday after church and burned my eyelids so bad they barely open. I’ve been dizzy and nauseated, too. Aspirin helps. I’m so careless.

June 19, 1969 – Dearest Meg. Take it easy on the sun, especially if you ever use a sunlamp. Take good care of yourself! If you come for a visit over the 4th weekend, train arrangements will have to be made at the last minute. I’m sorry you have to go through that, and do all the arranging, too. But I really need to see you. And I need your love, too – which I know I have.

my-corvetteJune 20, 1969 – Dear Nate. You won’t believe this! The one time I neglect to lock my Corvette doors, and the car gets stolen! I about had a heart attack when it wasn’t where I parked it. I called the police, Bervin, Dad, and my insurance man. The police came right over and filled out a long report, but my insurance guy had bad news. He said, “One out of every 3 Corvettes, old or new, is stolen at least once in the life of the car.” I was furious! The police said people steal Corvettes to dismantle them and sell the parts, and whoever took it probably had a garage ready and waiting to do that.

June 20, 1969 – Dearest Meg. I’m really sorry your car was stolen. But perhaps it can serve as a lesson on materialism? Or at least a warning. If they never find it, before you purchase another vehicle, you should check with your father and with Bervin – and you and I should talk about our finances as a couple. It will all work out.

June 20, 1969 – Dear Nate. I talked to the police again to see if my car was found. They said it would probably be found… stripped and sitting on a side street. Drat! Dad was encouraging, though. I figured I was due for a lecture on locking car doors, but it never came. Instead he was very optimistic, saying it might have been time to update my car situation anyway (to something more economical). That gave me hope.

“Count it all joy when you meet trials of various kinds.” (James 1:2)

Young Love (#38)

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The morning Nate got on a bus headed for his Army duty in Kansas was a sad day for both of us. We stopped en route to have a little hot coffee… and lots of “hot kisses.” Along with many other soldiers, he stayed overnight at the Holiday Inn in Topeka, ready to report for official duty at Ft. Riley early the next morning.

postcardAs he sat in his motel room, he began writing a string of post cards (supplied by Holiday Inn) full of sweet words to me, but I never received them. Not knowing his military address (which he thought he had mailed to me), I wasn’t able to send my letters to him, either.

It turned out to be a 5-day black-out with neither of us hearing from the other. When his first letter finally arrived, I could tell by his handwriting he was upset.

upsetJune 17, 1969 – Dearest Meg. I am sorry my letters have not arrived until so late. I omitted my return address zip code, along with everyone else in my platoon, and the Army didn’t mail them. We just learned this tonight. I tried to call you, but no answer. I have written you so faithfully, every day, and the Army wacked me. I love you. You’re a beautiful Christian woman; I’m in love with you. I’m with you in my thoughts. Being away is rough, but finding out you haven’t gotten my letters makes me so sick and angry that I don’t know what to do. So I pray. Christ will unite us. Love, love, Nate

Nate needn’t have worried. Not for one minute did I doubt his continuing love, despite the black-out. He’d been consistent throughout our relationship, and I wasn’t the least bit worried. When his first letter finally arrived, 7 others quickly followed, proving me right.

June 13, 1969 – Dearest Meg. We arrived here by 8:30 pm on the day I left you, after liberal gas and coffee stops – and another stop for lunch, then breakfast. Went 70-75 mph through Illinois and Missouri, 85-90 in Kansas. One week ago was a quiet night with you.

June 16, 1969 – Dear Nate. I just ran to meet the mailman, hoping he had something from you, and he brought me multiple postcards and a long, enthusiastic letter from my fiancée. I practically kissed him! But really, my kisses and love are all and only for YOU!

June 15, 1969 – Dearest Meg. I love you so much that being away nearly breaks my heart. But there’s good news. I will get a 3-day weekend over the 4th of July. You could come down and stay at the Holiday Inn in Topeka, about an hour from Ft. Riley. And I can get a pass.

soldiers

June 16, 1969 – Dear Nate. I love, love, LOVE you and can’t wait to tell the whole world we’re going to get married in November! Kisses and love, Meg

June 16, 1969 – Dearest Meg. Wednesday evening to Saturday night we have a bivouac – camping out in the woods. My letters will be few. I’ll write each day, though, and mail them later. I really look forward to your letters. There’s a chance I might get KP over the 4th of July weekend, in which case I wouldn’t be free. But I made a reservation at the Holiday Inn in my name… hoping.

“Endurance produces character.” (Romans 5:4)

Young Love (#37)

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Between the end of Nate’s academic year and the beginning of his summer stint with the Army, he had 8 free days. We viewed that as a golden opportunity for more time with my parents, so we arranged for him to stay with them. I would stay there, too, and our hope was that by the end of those days, Mom would finally sanction our decision to marry.

We also hoped both Mom and Dad would surrender their idea of a year-long engagement. We didn’t want to cross them, but 6 months was our maximum wait-time.

The two of us thoroughly enjoyed being together and continued making plans. Nate accompanied me to my kindergartens, and let me “show him off” to faculty friends. After work we shared meals with friends, went to the movies, helped Mom and Dad with household projects, took miles-long walks, and “window shopped” engagement rings.

the-meetingA special highlight was when Nate’s parents drove 4 hours just to meet my folks and share a day with all of us. Everything went well, we were thankful.

From my journal:

I’m learning so much more about Nate this week. I’m convinced he is someone who will never reject me. He loved me long before I ever loved him, and as a result, my feelings for him have been able to grow at a steady, unhindered pace. With all the candid discussing we’ve done, I think we’ll have a head start on marriage together.

As for Mom, at the end of the week she did something that took me by surprise. Nate had made a big effort to win her approval, watching her closely and offering to help with whatever she was doing. He’d brought her gifts, (something no other boyfriend had done) and had given her a hug each time we’d returned home (also not done by the others).

She began warming to him, and became willing to negotiate for a wedding date. Somewhere between a short engagement (us) and a long one (them), we settled on Thanksgiving weekend. Mom liked the idea of sharing our turkey dinner with relatives who would come for the wedding, and we liked the idea of a brief engagement.

Back to my journal and Mom’s surprise:

glass-slipperTwo years earlier, Mom had bought a special gift to present to me when she thought I had found my prince charming. It would be her way of sanctioning my choice. At the end of our 8 days together, she presented me with that gift – a small glass slipper a la Cinderella – telling me she was sure Nate was the one. She also said that it was satisfying for her to be sure that I was sure, too. The glass-slipper-surprise was the watershed moment Nate and I had been hoping for with Mom, and now all 4 parents were on board.

At the end of those 8 days, Nate reluctantly got on a bus headed to Ft. Riley, Kansas, nearly 600 miles away. He became a soldier-in-training for 6 weeks and was owned by the Army. But as we kissed goodbye, I made up my mind I wasn’t going to let all that time pass without us being together.

“Love always perseveres.” (1 Corinthians 13:7)