Dearest Anna! Here you have a letter from my beloved little Bob. My love for Christian [Greta’s husband] I have now transferred to Bobby, a long time before he started to write his lovely letters.
It seems to me that I now, the last years of my life, have captured my friends in my soul, so that it feels wonderful as never before to love ones children and grandchildren; a reward for this love shouldn’t be necessary, but Bobby’s often coming letters give me clear happiness. Maybe it’s senile decay that causes me feel so very satisfied with everything and so grateful. It´s good when it shows in that way and not in the opposite. […]
The 11th or the 18th of June I go to Öland [Queen Victoria’s rest home] which will be pleasant. Before that I have much to do in my home and with my clothes. During the Whitsun days I have been to several coffee parties […]
Myself I have been unusually healthy this winter and spring, even though my head has been aching the last days. I do not like coffee parties, but you cannot say no when people are so nice, can you. Gerda Beijer at the Schweitzer house has asked me to come out there some day when it is this beautiful. It is so lovely there right now during the beauty of spring. […]
Give my regards to Helge and the children. Your own M-a.
Karin gives her regards as well.
No. 2
Olsborg, Aug 23, 1936 [the last letter]
Dear Anna!
For a long time I have thought of writing to you, but a lot of things have stopped me as I had a miserable cold and coughed a lot. Now I feel better. Dickie first had the cold and of course passed it on to me, I’ve been quite down.
Kerstin helps me greatly, is an excellent laundress, leaves no stains and gets things white. She also cleans and takes care of Dickie’s clothes as well as she can. He often gets very dirty so there is always work to be done. Kerstin asks me to tell you that she wants to pay for the dentist herself. She has already given 15 SEK, 10 are still owing. But she has several broken teeth that need to be taken care of. – She asked me to say this. She is so happy when she can pay things herself since she is not used to this. […]
Kerstin is not strong, she gets tired so quickly and then she totally collapses, gets apathetic and then she can sleep for quite a long time. I’m happy for the energy that I have, because there is lots to do and think upon. Things almost go automatically and the tiredness is something that you get used to.
Some time in September I will probably go to Quarnängen for a week. They were so kind to ask me. If I just could get rid of my coughing. […] It was so nice to take care of Karin for a couple of days. She was so sweet and gave me the best of memories. I hope she will visit me again sometime this fall as she promised. […]
Goodbye for now, Kerstin gives her regards to you all.
Your own M-a
The last photo of Lydia, with Kerstin and Dickie, summer of 1936.