Sudden Turns In Their Journey

Joe agreed to drop Rose and this brought an amazing turn to their relationship when they had their first kiss while on their way to Rose’s workplace. The rides gave them quality time to spend together, as a result, they came close enough to take the big step called marriage. The couple as decided got married and eloped to Reno, Nevada. It was the beginning of a new phase in their lives however the couple was unaware of the coming twist. Few days after their big day Joe was called off from his holidays to the Vietnam war resulting in the couple’s partition.

Three days later he was back in Japan and I was still in my apartment. There was nothing, except a guitar, there was no Joe anywhere in my house.

The Moment Of Surprise

When they met on the planned date, Rose unwrapped the package, she couldn’t believe her eyes for a while. An emotional moment for sure as in front of her was a pile of old envelopes waiting to be read by her. These were written during the Vietnam War, by her ex-husband Joe Hill. During the 1970s when Joe served in the army, that’s when he wrote all these letters to his beloved Rose. The letters were worth finding for Rose as they had beautiful memories hidden inside words. They married 42 years back on the same date.

Love Through Words


The letters were from the early months of their marriage. The letters were a flashback of every moment they shared and meant more than just words to Rose. Distances lead Joe to write his affection for her which the letters were all about. Reading those letters was a journey down to those beautiful days for her. Words of love written by the man she once loved made her emotional that she couldn’t stop her tears from flowing. “Well, I think we can kind of surmise. Early marriage, love letters.”

Wrote Feelings, Read Emotions

In one of the letters, Joe penned, “I love you, Rose! That may sound like an ending rather than a beginning, but let me assure you, it’s only the start of the beginning. Only the start of my feelings for you. Love is the only word capable of coming close to the description of my feelings for you.” Very intensely Joe expressed his thoughts and Rose could remember how special and blessed he made her feel with those letters. Makes a lot more sense now why these letters were more than just a piece of papers for her as those were the expression of their young love.

Unbelievable

Who doesn’t like it when someone makes you feel so special? Or assures you of their love for their actions? And what if that someone is the one you love?! Besides expressing his love, Joe assured his beloved that his love would remain the same for her even after his return from the war, “As inadequate as words seem, I am forced to use them for now. The time will come, though, when I can show you just how much you mean to me. When that day comes, I will be the happiest man alive.” Clearly, their love stood strong against the test of time, in spite of being far from each other.

Unhappy Ending

Not every story is happily ever after, so was with Rose and Joe. Unfortunately, the two were separated after 40 years of staying together. The letters proved to be a glimpse into the memorable past life of hers. Undoubtedly, Rose stored these letters close to the heart. “With a marriage that long and it doesn’t work, you carry a lot of guilt and shame.”