Love Letters

This morning on the Today Show Jenna Bush explores the long lost art of the "love letter".  Now love letters are more like "love texts" or "love emails" which are still wonderful but there is something incredibly romantic about when someone takes the time to put pen to paper and tell you how much they love you.  She interviews her grandparents who were separated by a war and had to communicate this way.  It was this communication that keep them together and helped their love grow.  After 66 years of marriage they still write letters and President Bush still asks "Bar" to be his Valentine. I remember "mail call" from my days in the service and especially remember the feeling of getting a "love letter".  There isn't the instant gratification that comes with hitting "send/receive" - you actually have to wait.  These letters travel planes, trains and automobiles (literally) to remote places around the world. They are beaten and frayed but the message is still so sweet.  A world away I'm still thinking of you...

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If you enjoyed this you might also enjoy one of my favorite books, I love you, Ronnie. The Love Letters of Ronald Regan to Nancy Reagan.  It's an amazing collection of letters that Ronald Reagan wrote to Nancy while he was on the road - your heart will be full and you will be so inspired to pick up a pen and tell your significant other how you feel, the old fashioned way.

International Love - Delivered.

This morning I caught a segment on The Today Show, "From Russia with Love" and was reminded of my neighbor growing up, Sam.  Sam had two teenage daughters when I was in grade school and we had a party line (multiple families shared one phone line and yes, I grew up in a really small town). This worked out great for me because it was a constant source of entertainment - I was really good at eavesdropping. The sad part was there was always something going on in that house, because Sam could not keep a wife to save his life. Life was so chaotic in his house the cat walked a mile down the road and moved in with us.

That is until Sam met his Russian bride.  This was clearly pre-internet and "mail order" was right. To his credit, it worked. Sam never divorced again and boy did he give fodder for my eavesdropping!

I'm aware that the dating industry is booming amid tough economic times but what I was unaware of is that this particular portion of the industry has more than doubled in the last decade.  Code name "international matchmaking". And so the debate begins - is this human trafficking as some would call it or is really just expanding the horizons of sites like Match.com? Both industries appeal to a similar client - men who might otherwise have trouble meeting women. And the appeal to women - perhaps the unfavorable female to male ratio in some Eastern European counties, the chance to come to the US or a wealthy lifestyle.  But if you read their testimonials they are simply looking for love, just like the rest of us.

And who am I to judge? The path to finding love is not always an easy one!  But buyer beware - there are scams galore.  Between hidden fees and the safety concerns alone this is not an option to take lightly. Not to mention you might want to check the return policy :)