That mother-in-law

In honor of Mom J's birthday today, here are a few thoughts I jotted down when she visited us early this year.

February, 2015

I went to sleep to the sound of her whistling "you are my sunshine" to that fragile four-pounder who may never realize how lucky he is.

That mother in law -- she always shows up with a car full of food and hands ready to help and immediately asks where the dirty laundry is. She entertains the toddler and scrubs the dishes and there's something blissfully humbling about all your underwear getting washed and three dozen socks being matched while you're taking a nap with the baby. She sends the money she earns at farmer's market just so we can have a date. Her handwriting scribbles sweet notes in the fronts of the books she leaves for us to read. At night she sends us to bed and feeds the preemie his bottle, then sleeps with him right next to her so we can get a couple precious hours of undisturbed rest. As if that weren't merit enough, she raised the most excellent man I've ever known, and something that significant doesn't just happen by accident.

And these little boys, the ones who look so much like her son--they will always remember that Grandma for her singing and her smile and the hours she spends driving across the state just so she can invest time in them. Because, in the midst of a crazy busy world and a million lines on a to-do list, she sits on the couch at night and whistles to that ninth grandchild, "you'll never know, dear, how much I love you."

And her whole life is proof that she means it.