Love letters ?

My DH ( of 52 years) and I decided together to destroy our letters and cards.We felt that they were for us only. This way neither one will feel any guilt when one of us is gone and the other has to preserve our privacy.

Nico97, it is a lovely idea, but was not allowed at my dad's cremation - clothing only. I don't know if this is a common restriction, or specific to our local crematorium.
Burning seems to be a common theme - it destroys everything, but has a celebratory element.
That is what we did with my parents' love letters - we gathered all the grandchildren, built a bonfire, and we spoke of the love our parents had for each other, and how we wished the same for them.

It's early days yet. I would keep them and maybe thin them out a bit? You could always re read them in a years time and see if you have changed your mind.

My parents had only just got married when war broke out.My father was in the army and spent most of it abroad. They wrote to each other every day and when he eventually returned they went out into the garden and burnt the lot.I am so glad they did. There is no way I would have liked to have read such personal correspondence.

My father had a box of 'stuff' with a note telling us to destroy after his death.

My sister wanted to open it

I didn't

I won... as usual

I threw mine away. I didn’t want anyone else to read them. I can’t remember exactly what I did with them, but I didn’t find it a difficult decision.

Isn’t it sad to think that with the computer and the iPhone there probably won’t be any proper letters in the future?

I decided to get rid of most of mine and just keep a couple. None of them said anything which could not have been read by anyone else but I didn't want that to happen. I don't regret it as I still have the sender!

Nico97

Excellent thought.

I have some letters my mum and dad sent to each other in the war, which are wonderful and general chit chat with bits of news etc

When Dad died she found her love letters to him and my mum burnt his and hers when her health deteriorated. When she told me what she had done I was sad for her but she said they were always in her heart and they were for their eyes only.

Nico97... what a good idea!

tanith . Much as Woodmouse suggests but instead of destroying them on your death what about leaving them in a sealed envelope and instructing that they be buried/cremated with you ?

If you can't dispose of them yourself, could you leave them with close friend or solicitor (if they keep your will etc). Instructions are to destroy them on your death.

They are always there then if you want to read them again.

I wish I had the letters my DH wrote when we met in 1968. We lived 100 miles away from each other then.. Snail post then was only choice.