A realization

As you know we lost my Mother-in-law to cancer on June 28th. When we were going thru the stuff in her house I was looking for this cross stitch picture I had made for her about 26 years ago. Today I got the picture in the mail. My Sister-in-law found it and remembered that I wanted it. Here's the cross stitch and the poem that it says.

Our Mother

You are the Mother I received

the day I wed your son.

And I just want to thank you, Mom

for the things that you have done.

You have given me a gracious man

with whom I share my life.

You are his lovely Mother and

I his lucky Wife.

You used to pat his little head,

and now I hold his hand.

You raised in love a little boy

then gave to me a man.

When Mom was in the hospital towards the end of her life, there were 2 days that she was very lucid and was able to chat with each of us. It was during this time that I thanked her for raising a wonderful man. Since then I have put a lot of thought into that conversation and have decided that I want to be that kind of Mother-in-law. The kind that raised good men that make great husbands and Dads. Then 2 days ago I called Bryan, my oldest who is 23, when he was on a date. He very nicely asked if he could call me back tomorrow (which he did) and then told me he loved me. This meant a lot to me and I hope the girl he was on a date with recognized what a wonderful man he is. They say that boys that treat their Moms with respect make the best husbands. As a Mom that was a very proud moment for me.