Dear Future Mother-in-Law,

First and foremost, I want to begin by saying thank you. You will never know how grateful I am to you for raising the man of my dreams. That could not have been easy. I have no idea how you got through all those sleepless nights taking care of our sick little man, grounding him for the various different reasons, and the countless other tasks that go into raising a growing boy. All the love and discipline you gave him shaped him into the man that he would be for me, so I thank you. It’s crazy because I don’t know if I’ve met him yet, but I thank you for raising and supporting the child you brought into this world, for one day, he will belong to me too.

It’s to be expected that he’s seen his fair share of heartbreak, just like I have. That heartbreak is what has been teaching us what it truly means to love someone. As much as I can’t wait to meet the man of my dreams, it’s you that I also can’t wait to meet. It must be hard for a mother to watch her son fall in love with another woman; for it was you who held his heart first. I value the relationship you have with your son, and I pray that it is a relationship that values respect, honesty, laughter, and joy. Most parents don’t think of it this way, but you’re preparing him for the much longer journey ahead with the woman who will make him the man you’ve always believed he would be.

I’m not going to lie, I’ve had my fair share of heartbreak and have made my fair share of mistakes, but without it, I would not be who I am today. I would not be the woman your son has been hoping for. I assure you that the baggage I bring along with me is necessary. It will remind me of where I was, and humble me when I’m looking into your son’s eyes. It will make me the girl that your son loves. I’ve loved before and there is no denying that, but if I can love the wrong man that much, just think of how much I can love your son.

I can’t promise that there won’t be tough times. I can’t promise that there won’t be heartache in our marriage and turmoil in our life together. But what I can promise you is through that I will love your son unconditionally. I will continue to raise him up and remind him of his upbringing that taught him to be the man that he is. I will support him when he feels like our life is falling apart, because his life will be my life. I will always remind him to laugh. I will always remind him of how important the little things in this world really are. I promise to hold his heart in my hand and protect it with everything I have. I promise to always kiss him goodnight and be there to wake up next to him in the morning. I also promise you that I will continue to better myself. I want to be the best version of myself when your son makes his appearance into the part of my life that is forever. I promise to do everything in my power to prepare my heart for the man of my dreams, your son.

I don’t know much, but I can promise you this: I promise never to replace you. You were the first woman he loved, and I can never take that away. I promise to do everything I can to maintain the relationship that he has always had with you. I promise to be there in the kitchen on Thanksgiving, and to call you up when I need advice for dealing with our grumpy man. You are an essential part of this story and my future. Without you, my love doesn’t exist. So again, I promise to love our boy unconditionally and to build our future together. I also promise to never let him forget where he came from. Thank you for all that you have done and are still doing. I can’t wait to meet you.

Love,

Your Future Daughter-in-Law