Kisses and Love Letters

When David Bowie wrote An Occasional Dream, he wrote it for his first great love.  Music and literature are full of declarations of love: these days, we’re more likely to fire off a text or email, but the hand-written love letter is something to be cherished and kept… 

It seems that the oldest love letter known is over 4000 years old – carved in stone – it is sent to a bridegroom from his bride-to-be:

 

Goodly is your beauty, honeysweet.

You have captivated me,

Let me stand tremblingly before you.

Carving in stone certainly meant that this loving tribute survived the ravages of time.

The email and message revolution need not be a barrier though – print off messages of love, roll them up into a scroll and tie with a ribbon to keep your memories safe from any computer crash.  Tuck them inside your An Occasional Dream box and surprise your ‘other half’ with a walk down memory lane!

What DOES remain is the way you feel when you receive a love letter… I saw a short piece of film this week that will be part of a major documentary.  Both the film-maker and I were so moved, watching a gorgeous, game old dear in her 90’s recalling a kiss at a bus stop from 7 decades ago.  Giggling at her own story, she then spontaneously  began singing ‘Strangers in the Night’…

An Occasional Dream was sent to me as a love letter over 30 years ago – and, yes, I still smile at the memory.

Anyone else out there got a memory to share?