A moving letter from Dad to Mom

Bill Wilmerton
William Wallace Wilmerton
1908-1982

June 1, 1973

Dear Mom:

It's three o'clock in the morning now, and I have been laying awake thinking of a lot of things. Some of those things are things I have never said to you, but I want you to know about them.

I want you to know that I love you. I have never been one for soft talk. I have always tried to show a brave, strong face, but down inside I have been easily hurt and never wanted it seen. I am not as brave and strong as I have seemed to be, but your love for me has kept me going over the years.

I want you to know that the many times you were ready to encourage me did something inside me that made me unwilling to give up. Before I found Christ, you were the strong one who kept the family together when I might have allowed it to fall apart because of all my selfish thinking.

I want you to know that I love you for the children you gave me. They are good children because each of them has a part of you in their character. Your bringing up gave each of them a strength that will keep them in all of life's troubles.

I want you to know I have appreciated the many times you were willing to give up your home - just when it seemed we were getting settled again; how many times? Was it 26 - 27 - 28 - more? Not many women would have put up with that. And now again - New York, Maine, New York again, Ohio, Pennsylvania and now West Virginia.

I want you to know that I am glad that you listened when the Lord spoke to you - and that you prayed for me those six years when I was trying to prove to you how strong and brave I was - But God gave you the grace and strength to carry on even when I went down through the valley of despair. Thanks for holding on then, Mom.

I want you to know that your prayers for me over these last 18 years have kept me going. It has not been easy for you - and I know how stubborn and obstinate I have been so many times and how you have prayed it through when I might have just given up if I didn't have you behind me praying.

I want you to know that all through our 42 years together I have never stopped loving you, although many times I failed to show it by my actions. I cannot tell what lies ahead for us - but I promise you that you will always be my one and only - We may not have all that others may have - and it must be hard for you to see others all settled down enjoying life while we go moving around the country. But I want you to know that I will be doing everything I can to make you happy and to see that you are cared for in every way. I need your prayers and your love for me; all the little things you have been doing to make life better for me.

I want you to know that I see these little things, and I want to say a big 'thank you' that I should have said so many times before this.

I want you to know that although I might not say these things out loud, they are in my heart.

Please keep on being just what you are - so many times you have just taken my big words and not said anything but you have kept on just being good to me, and I want you to know I realize it and I love you for loving me.

I want you to know I need you - we need each other - our children, no matter how good they are, can never be to us what we need to be to each other. Forgive me for my failures and my faults and remember that I can be only as much as you encourage me to be.

It's a little early for Father's Day but I just wanted you to know how I feel and because I'm not so good with soft words like that I just wanted to take this way to tell you that I love you.

With all my heart
Dad

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