Working out west, Tracy man recruits friends, family to get love letters to wife
Shane Fowler | CBC News | Posted: October 4, 2017 10:00 AM | Last Updated: October 4, 2017
More than a dozen letters delivered by friends, neighbours and even CBC after husband leaves N.B. for work
A series of handwritten letters have found their way to a New Brunswick woman whose husband arranged to have them delivered over several weeks after leaving the province for work out west.
Tom Mersereau, a heavy-duty mechanic, plumber and truck-driver, moved to Fort McMurray last month in search of work. Before leaving, he arranged for more than a dozen love letters to be hand-delivered to Kathy Mersereau, his wife of 32 years.
"I love him very much," said Kathy after the last of the arranged letters was delivered Tuesday afternoon, the day before her birthday. "I know how much he loves me, and I thank him for it."
Each note was hand-delivered by friends, neighbours, or a resident from the small community of Tracy, including a CBC reporter. Each delivery came with a dinner, an invitation for coffee, or in the final case – a camera crew.
"After 32 years I guess I still shine in his eyes," said Kathy. "It's nice to know he does love and care for me and doesn't want me to be alone."
"This 14-day letter thing is to pull her out of her shell, because she is such an amazing and wonderful person," said Tom, who worries about leaving his wife alone for long stretches of time. "She misses me so much, and I miss her."
The couple calls each other constantly, but aren't accustomed to communicating over Skype or Facetime.
"This might be a bit old school," said Tom Mersereau from Fort McMurray. "But it's about people, getting people face-to-face, talking. And the letters are the purpose behind it."
"It's a very kind, and surprising thing to do," said Kathy Mersereau, who said the attention the elaborate display of affection has received may have been a bit too much. "But that's Tom. Tom is adventurous. He's got a kind heart. And obviously it shows in this, that he pours himself into people and to do spontaneous things."
Any further surprises from her husband will have to wait a while as he doesn't know when he'll be able to return home.