bits and pieces of flair

grandma,

i'm writing to inform you of my deep love and admiration i have for you.
as hard as it is to admit - i am so very happy you are finally reunited with grandpa in a place far more peaceful than this crazy world we live in.

you will be missed grandma.
although i never told you, you are one of my fondest heroes.
never have i heard you speak negatively about anything or anyone.
you have always been an anchor for our family.
a positive sunbeam.
a woman who never faltered in her capacity as a righteous mother, wife, and daughter of God.
your ability to raise six beautiful children and (too many to count) grandchildren and great-grandchildren is something i will forever admire.
i hope to become someone like you grandma.
someone who people can trust.
respect.
and deeply love.

in thinking about you and the example you have set, i've been looking through some of the letters you wrote grandpa on his mission.
although they caught me very emotional, i love reading each word you so delicately wrote for him.
the love you two shared was better than any chick flick, cheesy movie.
a once in a lifetime love, only a handful of people find.
i know i've only been married a fraction of the time you have been sealed to grandpa, but already i have a deep desire to be half as good of wife to mr. blackham as you were to grandpa.

from gwen, dated mar 1, 1937:

"i got your letter and picture to-day and decided then to sit right down and answer pronto. by the way--those are right smart pajamas you're sporting. . . you know, more dash. you make me feel like a very conservative person. i guess i must rush right up town and get a pair of fancy ones or you'll leave me behind the style. anyway i kind of liked to see you perched there with those fancy house slippers . . .only why didn't you beam kid? come on beam for me please. if you will then i'll feel more like beaming too. OK now we're both laughing be careful or it'll be a giggle. remember how we threw dish water at each other and how you always got the best of me[?] you wait though. i'm going to train for a couple of years and then you dear old 'villain' i'll show who's got the muscle in our family."

from gwen, dated april 3, 1937:

"darling,
your letters get better and better all the time. i thought nothing could equal that 16 page one but your last, even though it was short was so sweet and so much like you used to be that it's almost worn out because i've read it over so much. you promised me a real love letter and truly it was about the grandest love letter you've ever written me and the surprise of receiving it in the middle of the week just made it perfect. . . i hope that someday in about two years your dream of the creek and pine trees and us will come true and that you will put your arms around me and say honestly, 'gwen dear, i love you' . . . i couldn't help but write you to-day because it's such a special day to me. please don't think i'm foolish, but i just seem to remember a year ago about this same time--well let's see i guess about two hours later than right now and you turned out the lamp and put a beautiful symbol of our love on my finger. you know i don't believe i ever did tell you how much i like 'our' diamond. . .

"now before the monotony send you entirely to sleep i'll stop and say,
goodnight sweetheart
til we meet to-morrow
with lots of love and a big X O,
gwen"














thank you grandma.
we love you deeply and already miss your bright smiling face.