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Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Gratitude Letter Part One

Although I am deeply grateful for many things in my life, I thought it might be interesting to read a letter written from my father to his parents upon graduating from college.  Written in 1942, he knew there was a chance he'd have to go to war (he didn't pass the physical, so he didn't go), and was experiencing the "big city life" of Boston.

It's a long letter, so I'm going to split it into a few blog posts.

August 5, 1942

Dear Folks,

Today I received my diploma from Iowa State College.  It set me to thinking and one of my thoughts was whether or not I have ever thanked the two of you for my education.  It is hard to put into words the thanks that both of you deserve for all you have done for me the last five years.  You have made it possible for me to get something that no matter what happens, no one can take from me.  A man's education is his own and he cannot be deprived of it once he has it.

The things that both of you have gone without and which I have not known about are probably innumerable.  My education cost you a tidy sum of money--approximately four thousand dollars more or less.  The things that both of you could have had with that money are hard to think of.  When I think of the trips, the furniture, the clothes, and all of the other things which you could have had, I can only say thanks a lot.  Whereas many of my classmates in school have had to work for their education, I have merely had to write you Dad and a check was forthcoming.  You stood the expense of a car for me so that I could have more additional fun.  I hope that some day I can repay both of you tenfold but I don't think it possible.  When I have written homesick letters, you Mom have always sent a cheerful one in return, cheering me up and realizing the world isn't such an awfully bad place.  When I have had a problem that bothered me I knew that I could always turn to you Dad and get the proper solution.

Many many times Dad that you haven't known about, I have been on the verge of quitting school and Mom has talked some sense into me.  Knowing how much my getting a college education meant to both of you, I just couldn't let you down.  I was just a mediocre student but I felt that an education did not consist in merely knowing the assignments out of a book.  I'm proud of both of you and when I was thinking of the past five years after receiving my diploma, I again realized that I have the best two parents any fellow could possibly ask for and my hope is that I have fulfilled your dreams for me.  If we were only living in a more settled world I would prove to you that your faith in me has not been in vain.  These next few years are going to be tough even if I do not have to go into the army, but your son is going to win out in the end.  Thanks for everything, you're both just simply swell.

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