Strikingly similar in tone to my last post, I found a heart-warming letter that my grandfather, Carl Ericke, wrote to his daughter (my mother Nancy) after she broke the news that she was engaged to my father, Edwin Ambrose. This letter also starts out funny and sweet, and then you begin to feel the overwhelming love and support between a father and a daughter, much like we witnessed in the letter between a son and his mother in my previous post (Please note that I went back to the last post and added the text in case you had difficulty reading it).
May 9, 1952
Dear Nancy,
Now I know the origin of the expression “This is so sudden!” We were waiting for a call from Bill. When I heard your voice I knew something had happened and I’m glad you kept on talking since it could have been most anything. I guess the rush of recent events here has me in the qui vive. So I am glad the news was what it was.
Comparing you with your girlfriends, I know you have a lot of common sense and good judgment. Comparing Ed with the other fellows I have met, I’d say he has what it takes. In the abstract, therefore, your decision appears to be a good one.
For me, to theorize is one thing but for you it must be more than that. So since you sounded happy it must be alright. And when you are happy your mother and I are happy too!
Since you say there is no rush – relax – be happy – have fun! I like Ed a lot and you know you are my darling.
Best wishes to you both –
Love, Dad
What record will we have of love letters written in 2011? Even if one writes an email or a text, how many people actually archive them? I heard someone say the other day how they'd forgotten how to write cursive. I think it was a joke, but honestly, the last time I wrote in long-hand was last year when I sent thank-you cards after my mother had died. It's nice to see these handwritten notes, especially of such importance, and to be able to pass them on to generations to come. It makes you wonder. What tangible evidence are we currently leaving for future generations?
What a sweet blog. Thanks for listing mine as one that you read. I'm not inspired to have a Boston blog category, and put yours into it as a reciprocal links. Thanks, Jo Diaz
ReplyDeleteThanks Jo! I love your blog and I love wine too! And I found your blog to be funny, unpretentious, and loaded with information and links on my favorite hobby – drinking wine. I am new to blogging and am using my blog list, including Wine Blog, as inspiration to keep me going. Thanks for contacting me!
ReplyDelete~ Sarah
I found you as an incoming link, because someone clicked from your site to mine. (I loved finding you this way.) I just get so excited when I find people from Boston, having a great grandfather who discovered it. There's such a sense of ownership, even though that didn't get handed down to any of us. When I think of all my summers in Stoneham and getting into Boston on the T... Wish I had known then what I know now. I would have enjoyed the Commons and Beacon Hill so much more. I laugh that the squirrels and I have so much in common as it goes back in time. Many more of them than there are of us. (LOL)
ReplyDeleteThanks for enjoying my blog. Coming from New England to wine country, I know I brought a much needed "Get over yourselves" attitude...
Wine's only a liquid food, and not meant for just royalty anymore. Just do it, as Nike's ad says.
Nice finding you. Good luck with your adventures. Seems like were on a similar path to understanding our roots.