My High School Sweetheart Proposed with a Wire Ring Days Before He Disappeared – I Wore It for 55 Years Until a Mysterious Box Appeared in My Mailbox on My Birthday

I laughed through tears.

Of course he wrote that.

Then came the part about Walter.

I asked one of the boys to make good on my promise if I can’t.

Don’t let Margaret wear that copper thing forever.

Buy her something real.

Tell her the copper one counted, though.

It counted more than anything.

My tears fell onto the paper.

Then I read:

Don’t let her spend her whole life waiting for me.Rings

That line hurt worst.

He told me to live.

To marry if I wanted.

To have children.

To travel.

To laugh loudly.

To remember him without making my life into a memorial.

And at the end:

I wasn’t afraid when I wrote this.

I’m only afraid you’ll think I left you willingly.

I didn’t.

I love you.

Always.

Thomas.

I put the letter down.

I couldn’t see clearly.