An Open Letter To My Husband's Mom in Heaven:

I didn't get the pleasure of meeting you. I have only been graced with seeing pictures of you holding my now 6'8" husband when he was tiny..okay maybe not tiny because he was never tiny. I see pictures of you holding this little baby which happens to be the grown man I hold now. I see the warmth in your smile and your red hair glistening in the sunlight, or any light for that matter. There is so much that I wish I could ask you, so much I wish my husband would have gotten to share with you.

Thank you for teaching my husband what love is. He may have only gotten 7 years with you but in those 7 years I know you showed him a kind of love that only a mother can show and for that I am thankful. I am thankful that he is the tenderhearted, caring, amazing man that you created within those 7 years.

Thank you for letting him dream because your little boy has accomplished those dreams. He owns his own business and I could not be more proud of him.

Thank you for setting the bar so high that I will never reach it. He knows that you hung the moon and adjusted the stars so perfectly nestled away in the sky. I can only hope that one day I am such an amazing mother that my kids will think the same of me.

Thank you for instilling so many values into your baby that mean so much to me now. I wouldn't be where I am in life if your son wouldn't have been my guiding light along the way. His tender heart and helping hand are two characteristics that melt my heart every day. He is the most giving person I know. He is everything that you wish the world had more of. He is kind, caring, giving, nurturing, and simply perfect.

His childhood wasn't easy without you but I am so thankful that your parents stepped in and helped him along the way. They are the most amazing people I have ever met in my life. They are made of gold and I can never thank them enough for everything they have done for not only him but for me as well. They would do anything in their power for him, just as he would for them. They watched your little baby grow into a teenager and then into a man. I know you watched him through each step as well, you just had a better view.

I have heard so many stories about you so in many ways it feels as if I did get to know you, although I know the stories can only convey a small fraction of how amazing you are. I have picked up on this beautiful notion that my husband is kind of your mini-me. His beard turns more red every day and his dimples only seem to get deeper.

I see so much of a resemblance between your photos and the face I see every day. Between his hair turning red and those dimples and those cheeks, I see you in his every expression. I can only imagine how many similarities those that were lucky enough to know you both see.

At the beginning of our relationship I knew every date that held such high importance, I still know. I knew that those days he may not talk to me, or he may want to, or he may really need to talk to me. Either way, I knew to be prepared to be whatever he needed that day. I will never be able to say I know what he goes through because I don't. However, I promise to be by his side and hold his hand if that's what he needs that day. I promise to give him space on the days he needs it and I promise to never take the moments he shares his memories for granted.

Most people have no idea how hard I wish that one day we have a little girl of our own, a little girl with red curly hair. If the odds are stacked for anyone, the odds are stacked in favor of that happening for us. There is nothing more in this world that I want than for your little boy, my husband, to have a little red head capture another section of his heart. No one truly knows that every thought of having a child is surrounded by the wishes of her being your mirror image.

I may not have had the honor of meeting you but I know I am marrying your heart strings. I hope my kids have the same smile as he did in every picture with you. I hope I can be a mother that raises children to be just as amazing as your son.

I have a few promises to make to you, his dad, and his grandparents:

I promise to love him every day of my life. I promise to love him even on the days we disagree. I promise to be the best wife I can and to take care of your little boy to the best of my ability. I promise to hold his hand through any situation we may face. I promise to never take him nor his love for granted. I promise to be kind every day even when I want to throw a frozen dinner across the living room at him. I promise to be his shelter when the outside world starts raining in. I promise to value him each and every day. I promise to love him wholeheartedly and never forget to show him that love. I promise to be the best mother I can be, when that time comes. I promise to instill the same values that you instilled in your little blonde boy. I promise to encourage his dreams through every stage in life. I promise to take care of him whenever he may need me to. I promise to always do my best throughout every title I hold whether that title is wife or mother.

I know you are proud of him. I know you look down on him every day and it fills you heart to see what an amazing man he is. He's perfect. He is a walking masterpiece. Your walking masterpiece. You created the most perfect aspect of my life.