Belated Birthday Wishes!

It's the story of my life:  I have the best intentions, and I start things pretty well.  Follow through is where I trip up.  I wrote this two weeks ago, and thought I had posted it, but never did.  Today I discovered it in my blog drafts.  It is late, but no less heart-felt.

Today (April 27th) is my daughter-in-law's birthday, and I thought I'd take a minute to publicly sing a few bars of praise for this amazing young woman, and thank her for the things she's brought into my life. 

We loved Sheena from the moment we met her.  We kind of wanted to knock some sense into John while he was trying to figure out what it meant to love someone enough to ask them to spend forever with him.  We're grateful that he set the bar so high, and she certainly cleared that bar with room to spare!  One of the first things John ever told me about the new girl he was seeing was, "She's the smartest girl I've ever met."  When we met her, we were also impressed by her goodness, the beauty of her spirit, and her wonderful sense of humor.  We also completely fell in love with her sweet voice and the adorable way she would say "Bye" on the phone.  Weird, I know, but it's true.  John and I would mock-argue over who got to say good-bye to her on those occasions when we spoke on the phone.

It's not really necessary to talk about how beautiful she is; that's obvious.  From her darling dimples and spectacular smile to her great hair, Sheena is passing along primo genes to her offspring, for which I am certainly grateful.  Even more, though, I love the less tangible traits that make Sheena such a blessing to our family.
 
I love the way that Sheena thinks.  It's not just that I love her thought processes and the manner in which she reasons out a problem or an argument and seeks a solution -- because I do. I love the fact that she is always thinking, that her mind is always seeking a solution, always at work, always engaged.  She is always trying something new, learning something new, and she seems fearless in her willingness to give it a go, not hanging back in the fear of failure.  I love that.  I love that she pursues intellectual honesty and whimsy with equal passion.


I love the way she loves my son.  Looking back at their wedding photos, there are some in particular that just fill me with joy as I look into her face, looking at her new husband.  Every parent wants their child to find a life partner who will love and encourage and support and adore their child.  I have been blessed, from time to time, to catch some of those looks between my children and their spouses, and my heart always swells with gratitude.

I love the way she laughs -- both the sound of her laughter, and the way that she is able to laugh in awkward situations, especially to laugh at herself - I have watched her shrug her shoulders and laugh genuinely and freely in situations where my tendency would have been to turn inward and slink off somewhere. It's a gift, really.  Her willingness to not get caught up in herself helps others around her feel comfortable, and I am convinced that it is a pattern of behavior that her children will notice and model after her.

I love the way she parents.  I love watching her complete immersion in motherhood and her incredible connection with Scarlett.  The confidence I perceive in my granddaughter has a great deal to do with the stability, consistency, and purposeful mothering she experiences every day.

I love that Sheena makes me feel so welcome in her home, and that she is comfortable in mine.  I love and admire her family, and that she is willing to expand her heart enough to include our family into hers.  I love the way she connects with her siblings-in-law, and I really love her old-man-laugh.

I love her blog posts.  I love her self-reflection. I love listening to her sing and play the piano. I love her cooperative spirit.  I love the choices she makes every day, even when those choices are hard, or she is tired, or it would be easier for her to choose something else. I admire her determination and willingness to make sacrifices and work hard.  I love seeing and hearing and feeling her faith every time I'm around her. 

So, here's wishing for one more great year for this darling daughter-in-law.  We love you, Sheena!