New Family

Recently, my son's fiance and I indulged in a mom/daughter pedicure. I think of her as another of my girlies -- the term daughter-in-law just doesn't seem to fit. Doesn't she have cute toes? 

After our wonderful trip East, I'm still recuperating. But also taking this down time to mull over a few things.

First and foremost, I'm realizing how fortunate I am that my kids have chosen such amazing people to marry. It goes without saying that my kids are fortunate too -- but isn't that what a parent prays for always? That their children as adults can find a life partner that is a worthy partner in every sense of the word? Someone who cherishes them and understands them and laughs at the same things that they do?

Of course we do.

What I forgot in my contemplation of all this kind of stuff, is that D#2's family was praying for those same things for their son. And so as we all gathered last weekend, it was such a gratifying thing for both families to see their adult children welcomed into their new extended families with open arms. Her fiance's mom and dad told John and I repeatedly how much they adored our daughter; and it was evident in the way that they hugged her and smooched her whenever they could. They also expressed their happiness in the love and acceptance that we were so open in sharing with their son.

Sigh. Happy times.

As we all prepared to head back to the airport, Fiance's mother and dad took John and I aside. Fiance's dad blinked back tears as he put a hand on John and my shoulder. "I just can't find the right words -- but I want you to know how much your daughter means to us. She's just what we had always hoped for our son."

Fiance's mom nodded her agreement. "God is so good."

Group hug, people!

She laughed. "I was so NERVOUS before meeting you!"

Oh, girl. I was too! I told her.

So as I'm here napping with the schnauzers next to me, I'm happily remembering these exchanges.

And then I realize yet another marvelous thing: That this same nervous-yet-excited meeting took place not so long ago with my son's fiance's family. And that we both had the same experience, just expressed in different words, but with the identical sentiment:

Thank you for your son/daughter! Thank you for helping to form them into the wonderful people that they are! And thank you, God, for bringing us all together!

Ahhh. Life is so good.