Growing up, I never knew you. You unfortunately passed away long before I was even a thought in your son’s mind. I have been told a few stories about the two of you and although I don’t hear stories about the two of you that often, I feel like I have been able to know you. However, I don’t know you because of the stories that I have been told, but because of the way that you have raised your children.

I knew eight of your children, one of them being my dad. I want you to know how proud you would be of him. You both were taken from the world far too soon, and that definitely had an effect on my dad. He made some poor decisions and made some mistakes here and there, but he learned from all of those mistakes. Throughout the years, your son has raised two daughters exceptionally well and has helped to raise a boy that might as well be his son. He learned how to put the past behind him and he grew from the mistakes that he made. He made unhealthy life decisions and is now doing what he can to live a healthier lifestyle. He fell in love, got his heart broken, and came back from it. My dad may have made mistakes, but he has always been a great dad.

As for the rest of your children, they also grew up to become wonderful people. They’ve become great mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts and uncles. Maybe I’m biased, but I’ve yet to meet a kinder family than the one you created. The family that you created has been there my whole life to tell me stories from their childhood. They have been there to help me learn life lessons and to guide me through major events in my life. They watched me grow up into the woman that I now am. They were there to watch my softball games, to take me to the zoo, to meet my boyfriends, to see me graduate high school and to watch me become the first person in my direct family line to attend college. They have been there to help with the financial issues that college can bring and to let me know how proud they are of the person that I am. They have been there through all of it and I can’t thank them enough for the endless amounts of support that they have provided.

You weren’t around when I was born or to watch me grow up. You never got to hold your grandbabies in your arms or give parenting advice to your children. You never had the chance to meet me and tell me that you’re proud of what I’ve accomplished. Yet somehow, I know you would be. You never had the chance to love me. Yet somehow, I know that you would. It takes a special kind of person to raise a family that is as kind, warmhearted and courageous as yours. Thank you for bringing such a wonderful group of people into the world. Thank you for making sure that I had such a wonderful family to support me and love me. Lastly, thank you for looking out for me from your seats up in heaven. I may not have known you, but I love you anyway. Because that’s just what family does.