Kathy Hummel had met sailor Josh Connors only ten days before but at the end of their first date Josh sat down to write her a letter. Their second date, Sunday, Dacember 7, 1941, was interrupted by news of a Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the entry of the United States into WWII.
This is the letter and Kathy's reaction to it when she received it the next day:
Monday,
December 8, Kathy received Josh’s letter in the afternoon mail. She laughed at
his review of every part of their Saturday date.
Dear Kathy, my dear Katherina,
I love you.
Marry me. Think about the fun we had today and
multiply that by a lifetime of joy we can have together. I love you. Marry me.
You are my angel and when we settle down to our lives together
it will be heaven. I know you think I have said “You’re my angel” to other
girls before you but you really are sent from Heaven and I know it! I love you. Marry me.
What a foolish man. Proposing
marriage after our first date, Kathy
thought.
I’ve never been so happy as I am at this moment. I loved the
cold beach walk when we could see clear across Lake Michigan. I could see into
our future life together—life in Parkersville. I love you. Marry me.
I'm on leave starting December 28 and plan a trip home. You
must come with me and meet Ron and Mattie and the boys and my folks. We’ll tell
them we are engaged and making plans for our wedding. I love you. Marry me.
The world is dark now. Hitler’s Germany is itching for a
fight, but I don’t think we’ll be in it. I
love you. Marry me. I’ll take you to see the world when that conflict is
over. We will have a wonderful life together. I love you. Marry me.
Remember the "Our Town." Parkersville will be our
town if you only say yes and come there with me. I love you. Marry me.
I know we are older. That just means we are wiser and we have
to make up for the years we wasted not knowing each other. I love you. Marry me.
She began to cry as she read over
and over, "I love you. Marry me." How
could he even think such a wild impossible thing. I know what my life will be
and it doesn't include marrying a sailor.
I'll be seeing you in church tomorrow, though you won't have
this letter yet. We’ll go to church and then ride out to Oak Park. I’ve heard
that the Frank Lloyd Wright houses are everywhere there. We can dream of our
house—plan the family we will raise. I
love you. Marry me.
How about two boys and two girls? We can start as soon as we
tie the knot. I love you. Marry me.
And by the way, I love
you. Marry me.
All,
all, all my love, Josh.
P. S. I love you. Marry me.
As she finished Josh's letter,
her reserve faltered. Marrying Josh would
never work for me; it is too crazy--yet, he was so considerate, and he so wunderbar
is.
Josh's words stirred the feelings
she had long kept under tight control. Could he be a Prince Charming coming
into her life--one she never expected to meet? To her great surprise,
unexpectedly, amazingly, Josh's letter sealed her fate. There was no way to
even respond to him until Mrs. Alcott called her to the phone. “It’s that
sailor again,” she said. “Should I be worried?”
“Not at all,” Kathy told her. “I’m
going to marry him.”
Romance is in the air in February. Hope your day is filled with love and joy.
Too Much Left Unsaid can be purchased in eBook or paperback format from
Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or through independent bookstores.
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