A newly found letter by Napoleon reminds us that heartfelt written sentiment is something to cherish.
“I send you three kisses – one on your heart, one on your mouth, and one on your eyes.”
Those words were written by an apologetic Napoleon to his lover Josephine, the morning after a furious argument. According to CNN, “one of the world’s greatest collections of historical letters” has been found in a filing cabinet tucked away in a Swiss laundry room. The letter was written in a “spidery scrawl full of corrections and crossings out.”
Almost 1,000 documents were found and written by such historical powerhouses as Winston Churchill, Peter the Great, Mahatma Gandi, Alexander Pushkin, John Donne, and Queen Elizabeth I.
But it was those wonderfully sweet words by Napoleon that struck me the most:
- “I send you three kisses – one on your heart, one on your mouth, and one on your eyes.”
Just think of Napoleon out in battle but also worried about the fight he'd had with his wife? Besides that, his words are so touching. Can you imagine having a knock down, drag out argument with your parnter and then getting this note later? You'd have to forgive him, take him in your arms, and hold on tight.
People don’t seem to write as many love notes in today’s dating world. But perhaps emailing and texting has replaced the formality of the love letter. After all, many online daters get to know each other through the written word long before they ever meet in person. Some people are great at emailing – and they can woo with the best of them.
This discovery of Napoleon’s love note reminds us how powerful the written word can be. With the use of some beautiful, heartfelt words, we can change a situation, ask for an apology, and tell someone we love them.
