secret letters

Earlier this evening my mom called me into her bedroom. She handed me an envelope and said "I found something of yours." I looked down at the envelope and written in crooked handwriting I recognized all too well were the words "A Note to Nicole. to be kept for her to read in later years."

I opened the envelope and inside was a simple and elegant card- white with three pink roses in the center. Written inside was this note:

"Darling little girl,
Welcome to our family tree. A new blossom is always welcome.
Our prayer for you is that you grow up knowing God and all the wonders He has provided for us to enjoy.
May your generation leave this world a better place for your being here.
May you enjoy good health as you grow to maturity.
Remember the very best things in life are free- Love, Faith, Hope, and a dream for the future.
You will always be in our prayers-
Love forever,
Great-Grandmother Duitsmann
1989"

When I finished reading this card I was blinking back tears. My great-grandma wrote this note the year I was born, when she was 80. Receiving this letter twenty years after it was written
was such a heartwarming experience.

My favorite line is "Remember the very best things in life are free- Love, Faith, Hope, and a dream for the future." Now, 20 years after this was written, I do believe love, faith, hope, and dreams are some of the most important things in life, just as she wished.

My great-grandma died three years ago this month. She was 97 and lived a full life. I don't think I can describe how much getting this letter meant to me. I'm sad she isn't alive with us to know how much she touched my heart, even after her death on Earth.