Truman's Faithfulness

TRUMAN'S FAITHFULNESS

A number of years ago, the Harry S. Truman Library in Independence, MO made public 1,300 letters that the late President wrote to his wife, Bess, over the course of a half-century. Mr. Truman had a lifelong rule of writing to his wife every day they were apart. He followed this rule whenever he was away on official business or whenever Bess left Washington to visit her beloved home town. Scholars examined the letters for any new light they may throw on political and diplomatic history. In doing so they almost missed the most significant things about them. The couldn’t see the forest for the trees … THE MOST IMPRESSIVE THINGS IS THE SIMPLE FACT THAT EVERY DAY HE WAS AWAY, THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TOOK TIME OUT FROM HIS DEALING WITH THE WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL LEADERS TO SIT DOWN AND WRITE A LETTER TO HIS WIFE.

(Bits & Pieces, October 15, 1992, pp. 15-16)