a daughter-in-law….
I am one of those lucky moms who has a close, lovely, open relationship with her son. He is a bundle of total joy and watching him grow into a spectacular man has been an amazing experience.
A couple of months ago when I was back in Wisconsin we took a hike to “our special place”. It’s a bench on the golf course behind my parents home. It’s where we have deep conversations, catch up, share the important things in our hearts. We hold hands and cry and then embrace for a long time as we walk back into the rest of our lives. I asked him during the last conversation about the marriage proposal he was planning and he told me all about it and he talked with such excitement, and such love, and such eagerness that I thought I might faint.
Andrew gave his love the ring his father once gave to me – a family heirloom that has been passed down for generations and that I imagine will one day be given to one of his children. The proposal was on a snow covered mountain in Montana where the two lovebirds hope to spend the rest of their lives and I like to think his father was up there swinging above them with great glee and proudly watching from the heavens as his son professed his love.
Life is a string of endings and beginnings and the entrance of this daughter-in-law, Liz, into my life has already been a gift of such great love, friendship, and unexpected loveliness that I am bursting every five seconds when I think about it. When I lean over and look at the baby picture of Andrew that sits next to my computer I can’t help but smile. He was a baby but moments ago and now he’s getting married. Pardon me but holy shit!!!
If I could have picked his mate from every woman in the world I would have chosen Liz. How lucky I am…how lucky.
And don’t worry – she’s been forewarned about what marrying into this family is going to be like and she’s plunging in anyway. What a brave woman!