My mother-in-law......

(Last Mother's Day)


I know I've said it a million times here, but I am so incredibly lucky. Today, Mother's Day, has been a great time to reflect on that. I am so blessed to have my boys - they are the lights of my life. I have an incredible sister, brother-in-law, and niece. My Dad is still my hero, and my mom is someone I admire more than words can say.

But there is someone else who has changed my daily life more than I ever could have known. My mother-in-law, Marian, is a miracle in my life. There are just so many things that I want to thank her for:

- for welcoming me so kindly into her family - her open arms and gentle words are more than I could have asked.

- for her incredible love of my children, and support of me as a mother. I never feel judged or criticized, and my boys always know that they have unconditional love in her arms.

- for raising her daughter to be an inspiration of consideration, generosity and intelligence. Carrie gets those things from her mother.

- more than anything, I thank her for her son and the man that she made him. So many of the best parts of Dan come directly from his mother. From her he gets his unconditional acceptance of others, his desire to see the best in any situation, his understanding of the hard work that it takes to be successful, and his absolute and total devotion to being the best parent he can be, he is his mother's son.

Living in a society that tends to make mother-in-law jokes and eye rolls whenever anyone mentions the mother of their spouse, I just have to shake my head and say, "Wow, that must be tough. But, no, I can't sympathize. I happened to win the mother-in-law lottery."

And the really cool thing? Dan feels the same way about my mom.