Jimmy Carter's 75-Year-Old Love Letter Leaves America in Tears
Former President Jimmy Carter with Mrs. Rosalynn Carter and their daughter, Amy, on the South Lawn of The White House. Photo courtesy of the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. Public domain.
Amy Carter stepped to the podium, her voice steady but her eyes glassy with grief. She clutched a folded letter — fragile, yellowed by time. The audience leaned in. The former first daughter had chosen to read a love letter, not recent but from 75 years earlier. The words belonged to her father, Jimmy Carter. The recipient? His bride, Rosalynn, the woman he would spend the next 77 years loving.
What followed wasn't just a eulogy. It was a reminder of something rare, perhaps endangered: the power of enduring love in a world obsessed with the instant and the fleeting.
A Lifetime Written Between the Lines
The letter was written in the late 1940s while Jimmy Carter served in the Navy, far from home. In it, according to PEOPLE, he wrote:
"My darling, every time I have ever been away from you, I have been thrilled when I returned to discover just how wonderful you are. While I'm away I try to convince myself that you really are not, could not be, as sweet and beautiful as I remember. But when I see you, I fall in love with you all over again."
These weren't just romantic words. They were a window into a relationship that spanned nearly eight decades — from postwar Georgia to the halls of the White House and back to the same small town where they first met. They married in 1946 when she was 18. Over the years, they raised a family of four children, worked side by side on humanitarian causes through their 90s, and stayed hand-in-hand through world travel, political storms, and quiet evenings on their front porch in Plains, Georgia.
What Their Story Offers Us
In the era of swipe-left and ever-shortening attention spans, the Carter marriage stands as a rare and powerful counterpoint. Not perfect and not without hardship, but lasting, intentional, and real.
The couple described their secret in a 2021 interview with Good Morning America: "We've survived this long together because first of all, we give each other plenty of space to do our own thing," Jimmy said, as reported by Fatherly.
Well, that, and always having a shared purpose. The former first lady added, "We're always looking to do things or find things we can do together, like fly fishing and bird watching and just going out to the pond, catch a fish." This passion for a shared purpose was evident in the 36 years they dedicated to serving together with Habitat for Humanity and other global health initiatives through the Carter Center, even after leaving the presidency.
A Quiet Goodbye
The love letter, read aloud after her passing, became a final gift from husband to wife and from father to daughter. Rosalynn Carter passed away on November 19, 2023, at the age of 96. Just a little more than a year later, Jimmy followed, dying on Dec. 29, 2024, at the age of 100. They are buried side by side, just beyond the porch of their home, visible from where they once sat together in rocking chairs, watching the seasons turn.
During his final years, Carter attributed his longevity not to diet, doctors, or divine intervention — but to Rosalynn. She challenged him. Took care of him. Loved him. It's a sentiment as old as romance itself: find the right person, and they become the best part of your story.
References: Read the touching love letter Jimmy Carter wrote his late wife 75 years before her death | Jimmy Carter's 75-Year-Old Love Letter to Wife Rosalynn Shared Through Tears by Their Daughter Amy | Jimmy Carter's 75-Year-Old Letter to Wife Rosalynn Proves They Were Soulmates: "When I See You, I Fall in Love With You All Over Again" | Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Share 75 Years of Amazing Marriage Wisdom
