A few things you forgot to tell your mother-in-law on Mother’s Day

Last Updated on June 20, 2024 by Michelle

A Mother’s Day message for my mother-in-law? I sat down to write one; and I had to wonder why I hadn’t done so years sooner.

This Mother’s Day? I’m writing an open letter to my mother-in-law…

If you’d rather listen in than read, I just recorded the audio version of this post in the Simple Doesn’t Mean Easy podcast.

 

It’s never easy, even for someone for whom written words come rather easy, to decide what to declare in a letter of love. Poets resort to metaphors and fancy phrases, but no matter how elegant the words are or how beautifully they are made to dance on the page, they always, always fall short.

Summing up 25 years of gratitude

Simple ink-printed shapes placed together and strung across a thin, white canvas can not express 25 years of deep gratitude.

Especially not when that gratitude is woven so intricately into years of moments. Moments that I’ve realized how passionately I love my husband without even pausing to be thankful for your hand in who he is.

A few small lessons that are immeasurable

So on this Mother’s Day I thought I’d list just a few things you did as his mom for which I am immeasurably thankful:

Thank you for teaching him to grip a pencil, hold a glue bottle, and tie his shoes. Today he can use his big burly hands to do such gentle, intricate things.

Thank you for letting him take apart appliances just to learn how they work. Today his ability to understand how things work has repaired more home deficits and replaced more water heaters, dishwashers, and electrical wires than I can count. Those abilities have been the core reason I could afford to stay home with our children over the past two decades, knowing he could keep our home in good repair for little cost.

Thank you for showing him the value of “mom.” Today he values the time I invest in that meager role that he appreciates as heavenly-appointed.

Thank you for nudging him out of bed when his teenager’s alarm would not suffice. Today he hits the floor as the sun is rising. Although his bones are much older and his muscles sometimes ache, he is joyfully eager to provide another day’s income to cover the necessities that his family needs.

Thank you for encouraging him, that sweet baby boy, with penetrating eyes, to be inquisitive and to laugh a deep, meaningful laugh that widens his cheek bones and crinkles his eyes. Today that laugh and those penetrating crinkled eyes are a source of deep joy for me every single day, even the days—no, especially the—that are littered with sorrows.

All of the lessons you taught him and endearing traits you encouraged in him have made each of my married days more meaningful, more valuable, more blessed.

A heavy burden that we are thankful for

Yet who would have imagined, oh so many decades ago, when you held his sleepy, crying form in the deep dark of the night, or encouraged his chubby toddler hands to learn new skills across the table from you, or supported him as a young man who was taking on intimidating challenges apart form you, that you were creating a heavy burden for your future granddaughters?

Yes, each of our daughters has seen an almost impossible standard set before them, all their lives, of a Godly, talented, bold man who leads our family with quiet strength—thanks to your hard work many decades ago.

A standard that they expect their future spouses to meet.

It is a burden for which we are all very thankful.

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So, here I sit wondering what gift I can order for my Mother-in-Law for Mother’s Day. I shared my little DIY project on a facebook live last week and many of you reached out, asking questions… so you got me thinking…

A little planter like the one I put together would make a perfect Mother’s Day present.

Needless to say, you can’t easily find a 70-year-old beat-up enamel pan to use as a planter, and I’d argue it might not be the best gift if you did… so I went looking for a different solution as a Mother’s Day gift and found this combination that my mother-in-law might love.

Since she’s as fanatic about tea as I am, I might order her this tea cup planter and some beautiful “blue” succulents to fill it with. Then, since blue is her favorite color and since I love love love sea glass (did I mention I love sea glass?), it was easy to decide what I’ll order to use around the plants as “mulch.” Blue sea glass. What’dya think? (Sshhhh don’t tell my awesome mother-in-law. I’ll share this post with her after Mother’s Day.)

Photo Credits: Mountain Crest Gardens

 

But I’m having trouble deciding, because I know she’d also love the moss-covered watering can planter and the kit to build a terrarium with her succulents. Then there’s the ADORABLE build-a-fairy-garden kit (and so many adorable mini accessories to choose from) that she would love assembling with a granddaughter.

Then of course I may change my mind about which succulents to order… since there are 650 different varieties. (Hello! That’s too many!)

This is seriously an indecisive girl’s nightmare!

What’s your favorite? No seriously, please tell me.

Thankfully I have a few weeks still to make up my mind. This amazing company somehow gets their plants from California to my little farmhouse porch in 2 days flat. AND shipping is free (if I’m spending $75 or more).

Read here about the 6 reasons I’ve decided succulents are the best plants ever.

Full disclosure here: Mountain Crest Gardens will give me a tiny commission if you decide to order from them, but I would be telling you about them even if they didn’t very sweetly offer me an affiliate connection to them. Seriously, I love this company, their products, and their customer service.

Now leave a comment below and help me choose the best succulent gift idea. (Please?) I’m not kidding folks. The abundance of choices is not a good combination with my abundance of indecisiveness today.

UPDATE: I finally chose! See what I ordered, and watch me unbox and plant it (and learn about how to pot and care for your succulents) in this little video, over on my youtube channel.–>

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Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. – Deuteronomy 4:9

 

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