5 Love Letters of Longing, Broken Hearts & Love Found

Every love letter is unique—each telling a story that is oh-so special, personal, and distinctive. I asked 5 pairs of people about the love letters and the stories behind them—from family, to best friends, and even exes. Here are their stories of the past and present.

The Exes – Leo & Edwin

“We were both awful at communicating with each other, and found it easier to gather our thoughts over written letters.”

Edwin’s story:

“I only wrote the card because Leona liked cards, LMAO, I don’t usually do this but she loved them so. Letters have sandwiched our relationship for as long as I can remember. The first post-breakup letter I wrote to Leona was the one that actually led us to getting back together, and yet, the relationship also ultimately ended with a very heavy letter. We were both awful at communicating with each other, and found it easier to gather our thoughts over written letters. It’s like the more intense the feeling, the higher the chances it would be committed to paper.”

Leona’s story:

“I was straight up disappointed upon receiving the card—as you can see, it lacked propriety and effort. Both times we broke up, he wrote me letters, but at that time, he didn’t have the emotional bandwidth to write them. Though I like to remember the time when things were effortless and simple. When we’d both lie on my studio apartment floor together and let conversations flow ever so mindlessly, with legs resting against each other. Though not all love stories end with fairytale closures, I’m glad that we’ve both grown up by leaps and bounds.”

Family – Zul & her late Nenek

“This is my way of finally returning the notes—complete in a tiny envelope, just as she would’ve done.”

Zul’s story:

“Writing this letter to my grandmother was saudade, of sorts. It was a longing to be heard and loved by someone that I haven’t felt and seen in so long. It just feels like I’m sending a note off to a faraway place that I’ll eventually get to hear back from some time in the future. I was inspired to write it because as much as she’s gone from this world, she will never be gone from my life. Nenek put a lot of effort into all the small details just to make sure she was a part of my life. Simple, short notes have always been present in our relationship.

Despite being mostly uneducated, nenek would frequently write short notes in Malay and slip them to me in little envelopes. I never really wrote back to her when she was alive so this is my way of finally returning the notes—complete in a tiny envelope, just as she would’ve done.”

The Best Friends – Vera & Yvonne

“I still maintain that we’re the power couple of best friends.”

Yvonne’s story:

“It has always been our tradition to write letters for each other on special occasions because letters are more special than texts ma. Writing letters to Vera is something that has been kept going throughout my friendship with her. My fondest memory with Vera was what I like to call our ‘golden era’. I remember back in year 1 of Junior College. I was especially upset about not being able to go on a family trip due to studies, and I’ll never forget how Vera stayed with me all day and all night at Plaza Singapura galavanting around each store just to cheer me up. That’s why Plaza Singapura has such a special place in my heart.

It’s been 7 years or so, and we’ve personally shifted and changed, and we bring that growth into our relationship. But I still maintain that we’re the power couple of best friends.”

Vera’s story:

“My friendship with Yvonne has outlasted all of Taylor Swift’s relationships combined, and yet we still find ourselves excited to see each other every single time we meet. I’ve received multiple letters from Yvonne, but this by far is the lengthiest and most heartfelt. She isn’t typically one to get all sappy, but she wore her heart on her sleeve for this one, so I will always treasure that.

Yvonne and I share what I like to call the sixth love language—love letters. Because we’re both good with words, it’s naturally one of the best ways for us to express how we truly feel about each other. I have a collection of letters from Yvonne from every single birthday and Christmas we’ve spent together ever since we met. Getting into trouble with Yvonne never felt wrong, instead it only strengthened the reminder that we were a team against the world together. We might not be the same people we used to be 7 years ago, but I’m so thankful we’ve grown together, and into each other.”

Husband & Wife – Jon & Felicia

“Writing this letter was the best way to eliminate the awkwardness that I initially felt about expressing my feelings.”

Jon’s story:

“Letters have never really been my go-to expression of love, but texting is a good alternative to convey more heartfelt messages to Felicia, as opposed to saying them to her face. It would probably make a good comedy scene. Travel has been a major avenue through which we share many life experiences and stories. Running a full marathon, getting food poisoning, going to the police station, and getting caught in a typhoon are some experiences that we’ve had to tide through together and they have brought us closer. Through these moments, we have learnt to understand and appreciate each other better.”

Felicia’s story:

“I found that writing this letter was the best way to eliminate the awkwardness that I initially felt about expressing my feelings. However, as we grew closer—emotionally and physically—it became easier for us to be more vocal about our feelings. One of our craziest memories has to be the time that we took a trip to Japan with the goal of completing a marathon around Mount Fuji—the Fuji-San Marathon. But halfway through, we parted ways and I carried on without Jon after he had to seek medical assistance. It felt like we were filming our own drama, such a joke, thinking back.”

The Love That Was Never Meant To Be – Vas & Aji

“I don’t think there ever was or ever will be anything as electric as that.”

Vas’ story:

“Having something physical from someone so dear, at the time, was really exhilarating for me. I was in the army while she was schooling overseas, which meant that we saw each less than we would have liked. The penmanship itself was a way for me to experience Aji in a whole other dimension. Though letters have never been apparent in our relationship, it became a way to be a part of the other person’s life, which was impossible even with Skype or video calls.

We found our way into each others’ lives during a trip to Bali. I don’t think there ever was or ever will be anything as electric as that. But eventually, the realities of life caught up to us and we found it difficult to maintain contact halfway across the globe. Nonetheless, I’m thankful for the experiences and years that have changed us to become better people. Everytime I catch myself craving a flashback of a more carefree period in my life, all I ever have to do is to give that letter a read again.