My sister, her husband, and I are going through old family letters together. This is a wonderful sharing experience between our family. We hope anyone who is interested will benefit from our work and that there will be many more letters to come.
Dec. 25,
1941
Dear
Caldwell:
We are living in very un-
certain
times. Times when we
know not
from one day to
another
whether we will
ever have an
opportunity
of seeing
each other again
after
separating in the
morning for
our regular
tasks.
Let us be cheerful
In times like these it
behooves us
all to make in the
memories of
each other pleasant
and lasting
^impressions
of friendly spirit—
impressions
of
^paternal,
maternal, and
filial
endearments that
will carry
us through any
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2
possible
separations, long
or short, so
long as we
all or any
of us shall
--finitely or eternally
live.^ Let us not allow our-
selves to
lend our minds
words of
and voices
to^ petty bicker-
ings or
vituperations. Let
us remember
that the smallest
unit of our
society—the
family—must
be retained
intact (as
nearly as possibly)
and on terms
of good will,
good
^feeling,
and good spirits,
if our
cities, our states, our
nations to
retain within
them the
necessary cohesive-
Christlikeness
ness to
endure.^ Remember
the old
adage “A chain is
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3
no stronger
than its weakest
link.” If each individual
in our
family respects
thinks of(?)
each other
individual^ and
actively
engages to deserve
that respect
from the
others, we,
as a family,
will succeed
and en-
dure in the
way that
we should.
I pledge my self to
the above
and ask
your
cooperation.
May the gift accom-
panying this
missive
ever serve
to remind
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4
you that
your father
seeks not to
criticise
your every
action by
what he
means as
^friendly
interest in
your
affairs; that he
would not
take away
from you
that inde-
pendence
which every
young man should
have; but
that he
expects you
to use your
independence
as freedom,
not as license. ¶ Liberty
is such
action as uses
one’s rights
only so far
as they do
not infringe
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5
upon the
rights of
well
others. It has^ been
said that
“One
man’s rights
stop where
rights
another’s ^
begin.”
Whatever happens,
wheresoever
you may
be, may this
watch
ever remind
you that
your Dad
wishes for
you only the
BEST.
Love
Pop.
12-25-41
Select individuals included in this letter:
Clifford Caldwell McCormick Junior "Caldwell" (his page in FamilySearch Family Tree)Clifford Caldwell McCormick Senior "Pop" (his page in FamilySearch Family Tree)
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