Message in a Bottle - Time Flies

Messages come in many forms but my favourite are those anonymous notes that brave the seas (or the web).  There's something cathartic about releasing those words into the great unknown, hoping they might reach the person they were meant for.  The Message in a Bottle series gives readers (and myself) that chance.  I am so proud of everyone that is brave enough to give it a try, and am equally humbled by the fact you trust me to deliver your message.

The messages posted so far have all been a bit sad; dealing with loss, regret, anger, and even pain.  I suppose it's indicative of the direction this blog has strayed into lately, but with the new month, comes a new plan and a new outlook.  One of my favourite quotes is from George Eliot, "It is never too late to be what you might have been."  Well I'm heeding George's words and getting the month started properly with my latest Message in a Bottle.  This came to me all the way from Scarlet in Savannah, Georgia.  I have no idea how Scarlet found the blog or why she decided to write, but I am eternally grateful and happy to post her message.

I haven't read all of the posts on your blog, but I have read all of the Message in a Bottle posts.  I found an actual message in a bottle once when I was little.  It hadn't been sealed properly so the message was nothing but a soggy bit of paper that fell apart as we tried to pry it from the bottle.  Eventually, the movie Message in a Bottle came out and the guy I had been seeing for the past month took me to watch it. The movie was cheesy and ridiculous, but it made me think of that old message that I never got to read.  It made me wonder who it was meant for, what it might have said, and what I would write if I had to send one of my own.  Now, after reading some of the sad messages, I know it's time to reveal what my letter said and who it was meant for.

Dear love,

Time flies when you're having fun.  I should know, since the past twelve years have flown by in a blink of an eye.  Even though time runs away from us every time we wish it would slow down, it's not always because we're too busy laughing, sometimes we're too busy period.  Through all those happy, sad, and busy times, one thing has always stayed the same, and that is you.  You've been my strength, my hopes, my joys, my fear, my inspiration, and my love and I can honestly say that I was lost before I found you. 

I know you laugh when I look for bottles every time we walk along a beach.  You think that after all these years, I can't get over the one I never got to read.  Truthfully, I'm looking for the one I sent after one of our dates.  You had taken me to the movies for Valentine's Day, and even though it was a pretty bad movie, that was the best date I had ever had because it was that night that I realized just how much you meant to me.  Being a silly, immature girl, I wrote a message, sealed it in a bottle, and dropped it in the Savannah River, hoping you would find it one day. 

We're coming up to our 10th wedding anniversary, and I realize I don't want to wait for that message to eventually drift ashore.  I want to tell you myself because a dozen years later, the message is still the same - I was made to love you until the end of time.  So thank you for letting me do the one thing I've always wanted to do, and for giving me a family to share it with.  If I had to write a new message today, it would be to the kids, and my wish for them to find someone who makes me feel the way you do ever day.

Always and forever,
S

Thank you so much for sharing Scarlet, and congratulations on celebrating 10 (or should I say 12?) years together!  If I ever find your bottle, I'll let you know =)