Happy Birthday, and Thank You!

    Dearest Mother-In-Law,

    This is a belated birthday wish and a letter of appreciation, as it were.

    When I think of you, many impressive things come to mind. You are a super good person for many reasons. I will explain a few of them. But know that I love you; you are beloved by hundreds if not thousands of people, living and dead, and of course God and His son and all the saints and angels. You are on the right side of righteousness, which is the best place to be. You are quite special and choice.

    Before you became a mother of eight outstanding human beings, raising them and making them the best people that I know, who all incredibly have supported and sustained me for over 26 years in my associations, marriage, and child rearing with your fourth child and our five of your multitudinous grandchildren, you were the daughter of two humble parents in Pasadena. You and your sister and three brothers grew and became pillar parts of your communities and groups, professions and associations throughout all your lives. I got to know each of them to various degrees. They, like you, are loving, supporting, and conscientious, devoted, and kind. We love all of you.

    You set yourself up for success, going to college, marrying and being committed to your family and God, your fellow members of society and your neighborhood.

    When I first met you you were working as a dutiful middle school teacher, and maybe you were teaching part time at the local junior college. I enjoyed learning about your art work and your teaching experiences, and your service to others and random acts of kindness, sometimes with little prompting. Spontaneously righteous or Christlike.

    

    Always exemplary.

    You always were welcoming in your house while I dated your daugter. Later, after I graduated from a a master's program without a job lined up in my hopeful position in the State Department, you let me, your daughter, (my wife), our first daughter and later our second daughter stay in your house for two years! It enabled us to earn and save money and pay off the graduate loans that we had accrued, live abroad and then move to the East Coast.

    You always communicated with us, sending us nice cards and birthday money and wishes. You visited us once we moved out to the East Coast, you traveled with us to Chile, you always welcomed us in your home in California.

    You have been a tremendous boon to me and my family's life. Your stalwort faith and dedication has been noteworthy, to people of all stations. President Dale Poulson, my mentor when Branch President of the Spanish Sixth Branch, always noted that you were a saint and a force of good. I concur. 

    You are a great person, teacher, artist, mother, wife, member of the faith of our people, grandmother, great grandmother, and a boon to the country and its citizenry.

    Thanks for being you and for all you are and have been.

    

    You are awesome and sweet.

    Love you forever, 

    Your 26 plus year son-in-law.