Letter to Josepha
[The entirety of this letter is written in Spanish.]
Dear Josepha.
I confess to not knowing what to write on this page that I am sending you, except that which I feel must be written. I wish to thank you for the time, effort, and money which has been put toward sending me the photographs, letter, rosary, and the guitar which have been entrusted to me. The guitar and rosary were truly remarkable in quality, and I appreciate the gesture immensely, after my initial reticence to receive them.
In honesty, I write you now because it is the eve of Saints Day and Souls Day and I cannot be left with this guilt and sincerity in my own soul so close to such a day in our Church. Indeed, were it not for our distance, I would come to you myself and say to you these things which should not be impressed as words on a page, but rather as a conversation. But trust that I do not do this with any malice or ill intention, but only with the best thought for you, and for your children and the family of your husband.
It is on these days when we must look to the guidance of our Lord and Saints, and what He and they would do in these troubling times. I have known many soldiers, and many soldiers wives, in all my years, and yours is not the first hand I've seen assign me a name to go with a face that was near enough to that which she longed to see. Please do not think that I am in any way belittling your situation; for a loss is a loss no matter in what capacity it is performed, whether it is a father or brother, a husband or son--only that on this opening to November, when you are with your children and family, you must think in the perspective of those around you have also been in your position, for generations before you.
Men have gone to war and come back different or broken or not come back at all since there have been wars, and the conflict in our fair countryside and the following wars across Europe that sent so many men to France, and to Africa abroad, was no different, except in that it has now touched you.
Now, with this year upon us and Saints Day and Souls Day bringing up a time for reflection on mortality and the lives we lead, I ask that you are more saintly, that you think of those that do not have a good warm house and hale children and a family to care for them without their husbands; and that you are accepting and let pass this pain for Antonio. This will perhaps be the hardest of your life, if you have a real love for him; but as with all things, there is a season and time, and now is a time of acceptance to those that have left us.
I hope that the city treats you well, and that you are healthy and well for the year and into the next.
Sincerely,
Spanish State
Dear Josepha.
I confess to not knowing what to write on this page that I am sending you, except that which I feel must be written. I wish to thank you for the time, effort, and money which has been put toward sending me the photographs, letter, rosary, and the guitar which have been entrusted to me. The guitar and rosary were truly remarkable in quality, and I appreciate the gesture immensely, after my initial reticence to receive them.
In honesty, I write you now because it is the eve of Saints Day and Souls Day and I cannot be left with this guilt and sincerity in my own soul so close to such a day in our Church. Indeed, were it not for our distance, I would come to you myself and say to you these things which should not be impressed as words on a page, but rather as a conversation. But trust that I do not do this with any malice or ill intention, but only with the best thought for you, and for your children and the family of your husband.
It is on these days when we must look to the guidance of our Lord and Saints, and what He and they would do in these troubling times. I have known many soldiers, and many soldiers wives, in all my years, and yours is not the first hand I've seen assign me a name to go with a face that was near enough to that which she longed to see. Please do not think that I am in any way belittling your situation; for a loss is a loss no matter in what capacity it is performed, whether it is a father or brother, a husband or son--only that on this opening to November, when you are with your children and family, you must think in the perspective of those around you have also been in your position, for generations before you.
Men have gone to war and come back different or broken or not come back at all since there have been wars, and the conflict in our fair countryside and the following wars across Europe that sent so many men to France, and to Africa abroad, was no different, except in that it has now touched you.
Now, with this year upon us and Saints Day and Souls Day bringing up a time for reflection on mortality and the lives we lead, I ask that you are more saintly, that you think of those that do not have a good warm house and hale children and a family to care for them without their husbands; and that you are accepting and let pass this pain for Antonio. This will perhaps be the hardest of your life, if you have a real love for him; but as with all things, there is a season and time, and now is a time of acceptance to those that have left us.
I hope that the city treats you well, and that you are healthy and well for the year and into the next.
Sincerely,
Spanish State