MadGrad: That would be very nice of you to do.
Thanks.

The written letter contains a sentence that Don's voice did not read aloud when Betty was reading it. I have put [brackets] around that sentence:

Dear Betty,
I'm sitting in the Roosevelt looking at the backs of Bobby and Sally's heads as they watch TV. I'm not letting them change the channel because watching the news makes me sick and they can see it. I think about you and how I behaved and my regret. I know it's my fault that you are not here right now. [I think about tomorrow where you'll be and the day after that as well.]
I understand why you feel it's better to go on without me and I know that you won't be alone for very long but without you I'll be alone forever. I love you.
Don

Heartfelt and touching letter. Think she'll ever find out about all his paramours? Didn't Bobbie say something about him getting a reputation or something.....and who was she talking to about him.......maybe you could clear this up for me?

MadGrad: Beautiful letter. I would melt if it was sent to me. Thanks again for posting it.

...without you I'll be alone forever. I love that line. Sigh.

I totally agree, wasthere---Don knew just how to write it to go straight to the heart...sigh

DonDraperWantsMe, loooove your avatar! I agree with several posters who've said they'd buy a poster if one was made of Betty shooting at those pidgeons! So cool!

I don't think this letter was entirely sincere. While I thought it was lovely and heartfelt, I didn't believe the line "without you I'll be alone forever." Don? Alone forever? I do believe he meant the rest of it, but time will tell.

Hi everyone!
I thought the fact that he wrote "I love you" was amazing.
I can't remember the episode, but, I know Betty and Don had a conversation where she told him he doesn't tell her he loves her.
Maybe, he is just one of those people who can't say it, he has to write it. I don't know...
I still wonder if he wants and needs Betty more than loves her. He seems to genuinely love the kids, and he needs and wants the life he has with Betty and the kids.

I don't think anyone else has posted this opinion, but I think that Don feels deep down like he doesn't deserve Betty because she is so "upper crust" and he's so "poor farm folk" (or whatever!) and he feels like when she finds out the rest of his deceit(s) she will leave him anyway. I do feel he loves her, however.

i understand what Zebra is saying about don not really ever being alone but i dont think thats what he means. not like he will literally be alone because don never has trouble finding women to bed. i think that he will never find another woman who he can fall in love with and marry again. he even has trouble expressing his love for betty and telling her all of what he is feeling. i think that is the most he has ever felt for a woman and he thinks he will never feel so strongly again. does that make sense?

i also agree with SCfan in that he sees her as better than him and feels he is undeserving of her.

it saddens me to see two people who are obviously in love so upset with one another because they cannot say all that they feel for fear the other will not accept them.

ps- i would love a poster of betty shooting those pigeons!!

At that moment in Don's life...right then and there...that letter was sincere. He wrote the things he could never say in person. I understand that. I am that person. Some people are just like that.

I actually drive my husband crazy because he will tell me he loves me and I don't say it back. It's not out of meanness or coldness. I was just not raised that way and while I appreciate his sentiment and share it it has taken me YEARS of his continually telling me he loves me to get to the point where I can say it back. And I truly do feel it and love him. Always have.

So, I believe that Don is sincere in his letter. He may not be physically alone if Betty left him. But deep down inside, where it really matters, at that moment, he feels that if he doesn't have her with him by his side with her loving him...then he will be alone forever.

I would LOVE to see the Don and Betty early days. There was something that Betty had that made Don adore her. Remember, when Don was in California in the flashback at Anna's. He told Anna : "I met a girl."(SMILING!)
And Anna responds with: "Another one?..." As if she is thinking, "Ok, so what? What's so different about this one? You meet girls all the time." That was my first impression.

So, there was a true love spark in him that was evident to even Anna.

Don tells Anna that he loves the way she looks at him, and she's so happy. I think that Don feels that even though Betty doesn't know his past, she knows him. She SEES him. She accepts that he doesn't want to talk about his family and that he has no family. And she loves and ACCEPTS him anyway. She sticks up for him no matter what. (Remember the Inheritance and her dad's blow-up). She is patient with him, I guess. Maybe she figures that when he's ready he will tell her about himself. Until then, she loves him for him.

Just some thoughts from my point of view.

Thinking back in this episode there were several whom gave Confessions, Pete to Peggy , Don (letter) to Betty and Peggy to Pete. Were there other confessions i missed ? On a second note i see this thread is where most people came.

Don's letter was sincere for the few moments the actual pen was touching the paper. He probably doesn't remember what he wrote; he's just a lost little boy who wants his toys back (unfortunately for Betty, she's the toy). Like he'd treat her right even if she should take him back. Why would anyone be suprised by the eloquence and passion in Don's letter, he's an ad man. His livelihood depends on how well he can get US to love a product and buy it. He's great with words, it's there meanings he has some struggles with (and when I say some, I'm being generous).

I thought the letter was so self serving it made me laugh. It was all about him and what he needs.

Don's so good at selling he's sold himself to everyone..........but there are now lots of cracks starting to show in his perfect pretenses.........season three should be very interesting indeed!