This letter — the first written in yet another long separation for our two young lovers — is poignant, hopeful, sad, and love-filled.

My Darling Dorothy,

Here I sit, just back from Kent, Ohio, where I took you-know-who back to you-know-where. The return trip was long and very lonesome. I don’t intend to write very much, so I’ll print instead. We never did finish your English lesson for tomorrow. I wish we had. Then there’d be one more thing accomplished for the weekend. But we did get plenty done, even if we didn’t go bowling or swinging, or attend a play or concert. We ate our fill of spaghetti. We decided we’d bargain our fears away (and I think maybe it’ll work): you’ll not be afraid for me to see you in a bathing suit, and I’ll not fear your reaction to some of my occasional thoughts. We saw a delightful little house just plumb-full of ideas for our own house. We got some more things talked about. And we fell ever-so-much-more deeply in love, and feel much more closely belonging to each other.

I wonder if you feel that our talks have done you as much good as I feel they’ve done me. Already I feel liberated somewhat from the weight of fears and guilt I had before I talked to you last night about those thoughts. The thing that made me feel strongly enough to mention it was when you said ‘You always think the wrong things!’ when I made some crack. Whenever things and thoughts bother me, I hope to be able to talk them over with you the way we have done in our last month-and-a-half of times together. It has relieved me very much, and I really do feel better for having gotten some of that off my chest and out of my mind.

Your mother must be wondrous wise to have told you what you said she did, and in such a way that you’d remember it, believe it, and respect it so completely and diligently. There surely must have been opportunities and invitations for you to do wrong, and you have been a true daughter of your wise mother to have resisted the temptations thus far.

Oh, my Darling , I love you so very much. An end to our separation must come soon, Dot. We must never lose our hopes or our faith that our wishes and prayers will come true.

Goodnight, Dot. I love you immensely.

As I think about conversations I’ve had with women over the years, it seems that the primary wish expressed by the majority of them has been that their husbands or boyfriends would talk to them more about feelings. What a treasure Dot found in this very expressive man! On the other side, I am astounded as I read these letters at the frankness, maturity and wisdom Dot displays for one as young and inexperienced as she. Her wisdom dosen’t come from a place of regretful reflection of past mistakes, but from a deep self-knowing and a willingness to trust the experience of her beloved parents. That unshakable character is the gift she brings to this relationship with Dart. Thay are both so very lucky. And the best part of the story is that each of them knows it.