Messages placed in bottles and tossed to the seas can float about indefinitely. Stories are actual accounts of the way this mysterious and often romanticized message-in-a-bottle method have been used.

The interesting fact concerning messages placed into bottles and tossed to the seas is they can float about indefinitely. They can survive waves and storms that can sink ships. They have been known to float about for decades, even centuries. The following stories are actual accounts of the way this mysterious and often romanticized method have been used.

Many e-mail cometo us at Timeless Message. Some make us laugh and some make us cry. We are continually amazed and pleased to provide a way of communication that touches the heart so genuinely. Here are some exerpts from some e mails we have received from our customers:

...I just wanted to let you know how much my son treasured one of your bottles. It was a gift from his girlfriend. He kept it on his desk until the day he died. It was indeed a timeless treasure. Merry Christmas. Patty

...Last month I received a package from your company and I did not know what it was or who it was from. When I opened the package, I was excited to see a bottle inside wrapped beautifully. When I took out the poem and read, I began to cry as this was a gift from my husband that is currently serving in the United States Marine Corps, and he is in Iraq right now. We were married less than a year ago and this gift is very special to me. I have never received anything so beautiful and romantic in my life. Flowers die, but I can enjoy this message in a bottle every day for the rest of our lives. Thank you for having this service available (I know my husband appreciates it), the bottle is beautiful but the poem left me speechless. I love it. Thank you. - Charlotte

...I just had to write and let you know of my wonderful experience with one of your gift items. My son is serving his third tour in Iraq with the United States Army.He recently sent me one of your beautiful messages in a bottle for my Birthday. It was such a special and memorable gift, and even more special because it came from a son who does not often express his feelings. I cannot thank you enough for providing such beautiful and meaningful gifts. Thank you again,Lydia

...Thank you very much....am looking foward to doing more business with you in very near future. It is nice doing businees with a company that replies and ships as quickly as you have. Have sent web site info to all my friends back in the states. Again I thank you. Mike

...I just wanted to offer my sincerest appreciation to you for handling my issue so quickly, sweetly, and professionally!! I have ordered bottles for my mother, past paramours, etc... and now my best friend. It was my oversight that instigated the "problem" with the label-less bottle, but for you to expedite this so efficiently and offer to send out the label free of charge......you truly made my day. Timeless Message is an exemplary company, and I will be putting the word out to my family and friends as to your wonderful, kind service. Thank you again, so much...Nicole

...This is a wonderful site! I found it several years ago and passed it along to several friends. Having been some time since my last vist, I wanted to pass on how pleasantly surprised I was. The categories have really grown along with a much larger selection especially regarding love. I'll be making a purchase soon!...Carole
...Just wanted to let you know that we recieved the order today! My husband just loves it! It is absolutely beautiful and thank you for such a great job! We will definitley be ordering from you again. Thank you...Tammy

...I want to thank you for a great job.The entire package is beautiful and simply awesome!...Pamela

...I love this product that you provide. I have told all my Soldiers and I know that they have purchased from your company as well and have had success with their family memebers. Thank you for your service...Kim

...I wanted to take a moment to let you know how pleased with the service that we received from Timeless Message. My office wanted to do something special for our Manager on Boss's Day. I had been given the task and went on the internet to try to find something that our boss could cherish. When I went to your website, I was so excited. All my co-workers agreed that it would be the perfect gift. I placed the order on 10-7-08 at 10:50 A.M. What a surprise, not only was I given a status with confirmation of my order, but it arrived at our office on 10-08-08 before 12 noon! What Great Service! When our boss opened her gift, she was absolutely elated! Needless to say, I have had to share your website with many colleagues after they saw our gift. It truly is a timeless. Respectfully, Carolyn D.

...My boyfriend got his message in the bottle this morning at work and he loved it. He was the envy of the station. Thank you for such a unique idea. I also told my friends about it and they want to place orders too. Sincerely, Sarah B. ...I just wanted to let you know what a super staff you have. I have never experienced such dedication in customer support. Many other companies could learn from your friendly efficient staff. I will be recommending your site to all of my family and friends!... Katie

Paolina and Ake Viking were married in Sicily in the autumn of 1958, thanks to a far-traveling bottle. Two years earlier Ake, a bored young Swedish sailor on a ship far out at sea had dropped a bottle overboard with a message asking any pretty girl who found it to write. Paolina's father, a Sicilian fisherman, picked it up and passed it to his daughter for a joke. Continuing the joke, Paolina sent off a note to the young sailor, the correspondence quickly grew warmer. Ake visited Sicily, and the marriage soon followed their first meeting.

The strangest case was perhaps that of Chunosuke Matsuyama, a Japanese seaman who was shipwrecked with 44 shipmates in 1784. Shortly before he and his companions died of starvation on Pacific coral reef, Matsuyama carved a brief account of their tragedy on a piece of wood, sealed it an a bottle, and then threw it into the sea. In 1935, 150 years later it washed up at the very seaside village where Matsuyama had been born.

Messages placed in a bottle apparently had even an practical purpose. In the 16th Century Queen Elizabeth I of England used bottles to carry intelligence reports. "Elizabeth I received an intelligence report by this means and was so disconcerted to find it had been opened by a boatman at Dover that she appointed an official Uncorker of Bottles and decreed that no unauthorized person might open a message-carrying bottle, on pain of death."

When he was Postmaster General for the American colonies, Benjamin Franklin realized that, because their whaler captains knew the currents much better than their English counterparts, American ships were crossing the Atlantic much quicker than the British mail packets. He therefore compiled a chart using both the whalers' lore and information he obtained by dropping bottles with written instructions into the Gulf Stream and asking the finders to return them. The information he recorded is little changed today.

In 1914 while crossing the English Channel, a homesick British infantryman named Thomas Hughes wrote his wife a letter, sealed it in an empty ginger-beer bottle, and tossed it overboard. Two days later, he perished in battle. In March 1999, a fisherman found the bottle in a Thames River estuary. The fisherman was flown to Auckland, and personally delivered the bottle to Hughes' 86-year-old daughter. She treasured that note because it was the only letter she ever had from her father.

In the spirit of the British Infantryman Mr. Hughes, we hope your special message gives an everlasting memory.

We hope your Timeless Message has given you a unique or romantic story you would like to share with us and our readers.