Thursday 10 November 2011

I found my mother's love letter to my dad

72 years ago today Margot, my dear late mum, wrote a beautiful letter to Jack, my dear late dad. She was overflowing with joy about his proposal of marriage. I found the letter in our attic at home and immediately shared it with my three sisters and brother. Naturally, they were all delighted to read it.

With all the attacks on love and marriage, and with the co-operation in this matter of certain Catholic bishops in England and Wales, directed most wickedly towards our children in school,  I found it magnificently uplifting to read the following words (which are even better in the original):
Copy of letter to Jack 10th November 1939
My Dearest Jack,

This is indeed the happiest letter I have ever wanted to write, and even before I begin I have a feeling that I shall probably experience great difficulty in compressing all my joyous thoughts into a single letter and yet what does it matter for I now have a whole life-time in which to write and talk to you. I can scarcely realize even now the magnitude of the wonderful thing that has happened to me and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the great honour you have done me by asking me to spend my future life with you. I am praying now that I may be worthy of you and I shall always thank God for sending me your love.

My dearest Jack, I love you very much and I am so utterly happy to be able to tell you this. I cannot imagine life without you.

I feel we have so much to discuss and plan - everything to look forward to which our life together will offer. It as though a great barrier has been lifted between us and I am confident that our united prayers have brought us to this beautiful decision.

The knowledge that we share the same glorious Faith has always been a source of great joy to me and is even more so at this moment, particularly as it was our common faith which originally brought us together.

And now Jack I must bring my letter to a close. May God bless you and look after you always.

With all my love,

Margot 
Thank you mum for writing these words:
  • “a great barrier has been lifted between us” which tells me and all your descendants all we need to know about the purity of true love and about what joy such purity brings; 
  • and “this beautiful decision” which teaches your descendants all we need to know about the sacredness of marriage and the fruits of marriage. 
And thank you dad, on behalf of all your children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, for inspiring such a great love in my mother and for giving her such great love in return.

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