Musings on a Heavenly Birthday

Today would have been my Mother-In-Law Sandy's birthday. She would be 67. 

As it happens, she died in January 2010, 8 months before Husband and I were married. 

As such, I have never had a real Mother-In-Law relationship. Good, bad, or otherwise. 

And on one hand, while those with a poor relationship with their in-laws might say I am lucky; I mourn the fact that there's that piece of Husband's history that is lost. His dad doesn't remember the tiny details of his growing-up story the way his mother would.

I don't have the ability to call to ask her advice, or back in the day to watch the kids or come down for a visit. Would we always have gotten along? Doubtful. Two first-born daughters likely weren't always going to agree. But there would have been mutual respect for sure. 

I will really never know if she approves of the way I do "xyz" or if she thinks I am not strict enough with the kids. Though we shared similar opinions on screen time and bedtime, so I know that would have been met with approval. 

It makes me so sad sometimes that I will never even know if she would like my kids. (I am sure that, as a grandmother, she would appreciate them, but love and like are different, and you know it.) 

I do know she would be thrilled that C was left-handed. She was also left-handed, and she appreciated that I was as well. 

There really aren't too many pictures of us at all. But here is a picture of a picture. At Husband's cousin's wedding in 2007. Babies. All of us. That actual baby is a college sophomore. 

Happy birthday, Sandy. You are missed. 

Thank you for raising your son with the ability to cook and do the dishes. (I hate doing dishes.) He is so self-sufficient, and I am grateful.