Nostalgia is a powerful thing.

It can fill you with joy as well as flood you with tears.

And it seems like those feelings only get stronger as more time goes by.

I experience moments of nostalgia when I return to my hometown after being gone for a few years or when I visit the memorial of my buddy who died when we were just 17.

And each time I go back, the feelings of nostalgia hit me harder and harder.

The time amplifies the emotions and I’m sure that this trend will only continue as I get older.

For one 90-year-old veteran in Aurora, Colorado, the feeling of nostalgia that came over him after reading a 70-year-old letter that he had written to his lover during WWII was enough to bring him to tears.

Bill Moore was only 20-years-old and furloughed from fighting in WWII when he wrote the love letter to his not-yet wife, Bernadean.

According to ABC News, the love letter was found inside the record sleeve of a record that was purchased by a complete stranger at a music shop.

When the stranger found the letter, they decided that they wanted to track down its author and return it to him.

The stranger was finally able to locate Moore and when he read it, he couldn’t keep the tears from streaming down his face.

Moore told reporters, “I was really surprised because I would have no way of knowing that it would show up in the way that it did.”

What made the letter even more bittersweet was the fact that Moore’s wife had died just 5 years before he received it.

Had the letter shown up just a bit sooner, the two of them could have enjoyed the old relic together.

Unfortunately, Moore had to read it on his own.

“I loved her … she loved me and that’s all I can tell you is the heartache of not being with her all the time,” he told repoters.

So maybe having the letter show up after Bernadean’s death wasn’t the worst thing after all.

It might have arrived at just the right time–long enough after her death for Moore to be able to smile and appreciate the letter, but still soon enough that it helped him along in his grieving process.

Moore and his wife were married for 63 years and had three children together according to Denver 7, making this letter a true testament to the fact that love does and can exist in the way that it is portrayed in movies.

Moore’s daughter sure thinks so.

She told reporters that she read the letter to her own daughter and was quoted as saying, “It really hit me that we were seeing the true depth of my parent’s love.”

This story is an inspiration for anyone still trying to find a love that will last for a lifetime.

In a time when divorce rates are at their highest, seeing an example of a love and marriage that lasted 60+ years is motivating.

So if you’re currently struggling through a rough spot in your relationship, don’t give up hope just yet.

Because there’s no doubt that Bill and his wife went through some tough times during their marriage as well.

And if they could overcome them, then so can you.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Article Sources:

Denver7 – The Denver Channel

ABC News

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By B.T. Swezey

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B.T. Swezey is a contributor at SBLY Media.