A new book proves that the best gifts come from the heart.
This article first appeared in Traverse Northern Michigan. Find this story and more when you explore our magazine library. Want Traverse delivered to your door or inbox monthly? View our print subscription and digital subscription options.
On Christmas eve in 1968, Jim Mccormick wrote a letter to his wife, Marilyn. It was their first Christmas together, and he had forgotten to buy her a gift.
“I did the only thing I could do,” he says. “I poured out my heart in as beautiful a letter as I could muster about our life together that year.
“To my surprise, she wept, kissed me, and begged me to compose such a letter every Christmas season for the rest of our lives, which I did. The good years. The lean years. Raising kids and growing old.”
After fifty years and fifty letters, Marilyn became ill. Before passing, she shared that the letters were saved in a box. Rereading them was an emotional journey for McCormick as he recalled their days as newlyweds, the strains on their marriage, the apologies—the depth of their love.
The decision to publish their letters didn’t come easily, he says. “They were written for her eyes only, but our family, friends and readers have told me that Story of a Marriage has something to say to lovers, young and old.”
Published by Mission Point Press; available at local bookstores and via bookshop.org.