General Chat

My last call on this one. Thank you for the latest replies. i so much appreciate all the replies and advice.

i will bow out in full agreement with the last reply from Liz.

Happy days

Harry, I wonder if Audrey is smiling to herself and thinking, That's got him foxed. I am sure she is watching over you and knows how much you enjoyed reading those parts that you could, and that they brought back loving memories.

Treat yourself kindly, one step at a time

Lizxx

Harry - ask yourself - would your wife have worried about what you were up to before the pair of you met?

The important thing is that you met each other and loved for many years. Don't spoil your love and memories by fretting over nowt. <3

Put them to rest Harry and remember your life together.

My very best wishes to you Harry, take good care of yourself and enjoy those happy memories.

xx

Thanks again to all. Some people have been there; others show separate wisdom.

Let sleeping dogs lie. No destruction and the only further looks will be to revive so many pleasant, but now slightly sad, memories.

Very best wishes Happy days

Harry, you have said that your wife's diaries gave details of your meetings etc, and probably evoked many happy memories for you of those times. Many would love to have this permanent memoir of their loved one.

As for the shorthand notes it may have been something as insignificant as the weather on that day!

Take care.

Jo

as has been said, shorthand is just quicker and I often use it to save time - I also write my pin numbers in shorthand so I don't forget them

Perfectly OK I think to read them. I'm not sure that the shorthand is so relevant as suggesting hiding some remarks your wife did not want you to read. In my experience, lapsing into shorthand saves time and space. That maybe the case with your wife

Vera

Harry, my advice would be to not read them at the moment while you are still grieving . Keep hold of the memories you already have and let nothing spoil them. When and if you are ready, then will be the time to make whatever decision you think is best. Take care <3

Good on you Harry ...on your decision not to destroy written memories you have of your beloved wife.
You will keep all memories of what you had together in your head ,written ones , IMO have to be kept..it will be in her handwriting ,something you won't be able to witness again :(
Keep it close to your heart , like she was. <3
Sandie.x

Harry RiP to your dear wife .diaries are very private I wouldnt read them ,you have your memories & the love you shared. Keep that in your heart always Take care Barbra xx :-)

Hello Harry,

The shorthand,,well I would say ,yes its about you and possibly you and Audrey......why the shorthand,simply because it was so very special to her about you or you both that it was only for her to know.

It may say,,,,, Harry is the one I love.

<3 <3

What is written in shorthand may not be different to what is written in longhand - I write shorthand and often write it, or a mix, just for ease and speed, In a diary, would it matter to her what mode she wrote in? I don't think it means anything else.

Take care

Dear Harry, read them or not that is your decision, it would not help you in anyway to know what was written in short hand. Just treasure them read them occasionally if it helps you, take a step at a time Harry, I know I have been there.

Best wishes to you.

Happy days. <3

Harry my sympathy to you on your loss. I was just thinking that if your wife didn't want you to read the diaries then I think she would have got rid of them. Don't beat yourself up about reading them but as has been suggested put them aside till your in a better position to think what you want to do ...maybe even leaving the diaries with your family tree. Also in the late 50's shorthand was very common and used not just to hide things but for quickness. Take care.

Harry, 58/59 almost mirrors our courting 56 -60, 58 we got engaged. As soon as you mentioned South Pacific it took me back to when we went to Southampton to see it. As you say, lovely memories.

Best wishes to you too and enjoy your memories. :-)

Absolutely brilliant replies. While i'm pretty certain i won't ever have them translated, destruction is not on the cards.

They contain hundreds of lovely memories. (H came down; went to see South Pacific a lovely day). Can relive nearly all of them in a happy/sad way.

My view on the world has been adjusted. I've never met so much kindness and consideration from every source as has been shown to me over the past weeks.

Best wishes to all. Happy days

Harry, how lovely to have been able to read a little of when you and your wife were together. But I think you should go with what Barry and Wendy have said. Keep the diaries if you want to but don't translate the shorthand, there was a reason why it was written so, Of course it was probably so that her parents couldn't read it but no matter it was meant to be private so leave it so. But I have a few diaries I have written and, although personal, I have no worries about anyone reading them after I am gone.

And do come back and chat to us Harry, you will need friends at various times of the year, birthdays, anniverasries etc. We will all be here to listen.

Dear Harry, my husband died fifteen months ago and over the years we had talked of our time before we met and he said 'we can't change the past but the present and the future are ours to share'. I feel this was true. The time before you met your wife was her life not yours and the same for you before you met her. The years after you met belong to you both. Leave the shorthand as it is a code that only she understood at the time.

I still have a lot of my husbands clothes etc but gradually I am giving them away I just can't do it all in one go.

Post some more on here Harry, there is always someone who understands what you are going through.

Wendy x