A Letter To My Future Daughters-in-Law

Posted on by threeboysandamom

Someone recently asked me what kind of men I hope my sons grow up to be. I think about this everyday.

Even though I look at my sons and see my babies, I’m not raising babies. I am raising men. Men who some day will hopefully become fathers and husbands. Some of the most important roles in existence. It’s my job as their mother to raise them with the skills necessary to go out into the world and fulfill those roles well. Each and every day I am gifted with these boys, I am committed to that responsibility.

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So…

To my future daughters-in-law,

I have a few things I want to say to you. This can’t possibly cover it all, but luckily, we have some time.

I don’t know you yet, but already, I love you. I love you so much, because some day, you will love my son. And he will return that love.

There will come a day that this sticky, messy, silly little boy will be yours. He will always be mine, but you will take my place in many ways.

Someday your hand will replace mine. Your eyes will be his peace and your heart will be his home.

It’ll be you he kisses goodnight.

It’ll be you he shares his dreams with.  

It’ll be you who comforts him when he is scared.

It’ll be you who holds his heart. The same heart that beats against my chest as I hold him each night.

Someday darling, that will be you.

I always thought I would have a daughter. Now I know that’s you. I want you to know I pray for you everyday, just as I pray for my sons.

Right now, you’re everything to your own parents, just as my sons are everything to me. I pray you are cherished. Delighted in. Upheld and believed in. I pray you are being taught to love yourself first, because without that strong love, you will not be as equipped to love others successfully. I pray you are shown every day what a gift you are. I pray that if that message is somehow missed by those around you, you always know that when God looks at you, He sees His princess.

I am raising my son to view you that same way.

I pray you understand your worth and that you respect yourself. That you are being shown to respect others just the same. I pray that you are not afraid to share your voice, but that you use it to speak life; not only to yourself and others you encounter, but to my son. Men need you to speak life into them.

I want you to know that although I will make a lot of mistakes, I am committed to raising my son to honor you. I cannot take full credit, nor blame, for his beauty or his flaws. My own mom taught me that.

He is his own man. He has his own quirks and idiosyncracies. You’ll figure those out as you go; and someday, you too will know him better than anyone else in the world. Give him the space to be himself, and I will teach him to do the same for you.

He won’t complete you. And you won’t complete him. Only God can do that. But I pray you edify each other and encourage each other to be even better together than you are on your own.

I promise to let you in. To share my secrets and knowledge of him so that you can love him best. When the time comes, I will trust you with his heart, just as you will trust him with yours. I do not take this heart exchange lightly, and I pray you don’t either. I am raising him to understand the value of a woman’s heart. That it’s priceless, and once broken, can never go back to the way it was before.

That’s not always a bad thing, but if we can avoid it, I don’t want my son to be the one who breaks your heart. I also want you to remember that he can’t be the one to heal it. Again, only God can do that. But I will raise my son to forever cherish the gift that is you and your love. I will teach him to understand your value. To honor and respect you, as you do him.

I strive to raise my boys in such a way that they learn how to be strong, yet vulnerable. Brave, yet humble. Courageous and fearless, yet unafraid to ask for help. That they are leaders but know how to follow. I pray he leads you well and understands the honor it is to be in that role. I pray he serves you, but that you never take advantage of his sacrifice.

I pray he fully understands his role as a man and that he lives his life with integrity, honor, humility, honesty, faith, and humor. That he knows who he is first in Christ and then within himself. I pray he follows his dreams and passions and that nothing stands in the way of that, to include you. I pray the same for you.

I am committed to raising my son to be independent and never to look to you to be his mother, because I will have stood in that role well. I vow to be fully present for him. To teach him what he needs to know about women and how special they are. I promise to raise him in such a way that he always remembers you are someone’s daughter and that you belonged to him after you belonged to God and your parents.

I pray that with each day you love my son, your love swells and overflows. I pray the same for him. I hope as the two of you build a life together, that you never forget how that life was built. Stand strong together. You will need each other in this life. Though I am teaching him to want you rather than to need you, there will be times that he will need you. And you will need him. Be there.

Support each other. Love each other. Choose each other.

The noise of the world will be loud. It won’t always be easy. There may be days that you look at him and question every decision you ever made. In those moments, I pray you will fall back on the foundation you built together and remember why you chose to stand there.

I promise you that each day, I will teach my son these same lessons. I will plant seeds of love in his heart every moment. I promise to show him how to take care of himself. How to do the laundry and the dishes, and to never expect you to do it all. How to be your partner. I promise to foster his sensitivity while praising his strength. To teach him how to be open and to hold your words when they spill from your lips and into his hands. I promise to teach him how to catch them. To hold you. To love you. All of you. To see you for you, not what you can offer him.

I promise to raise him to be enough within himself so that he can then be enough for you.

We’ve got a lot of years before we meet. But each day between now and then, I will pray for you. I will love you. And when I meet you, I will love you even more than I already do. Because you will love my son. And you’ll become my daughter.

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52 thoughts on “A Letter To My Future Daughters-in-Law”

  1. Reaching for my Kleenex here! What a lovely, thoughtful prayer. It reminds me of both my hopes for kiddos and how dear my mother-in-law has been to me. The daughters-in-law who get you will be doubly blessed!

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  2. Oh my gosh, TEARS!!! Your boys are so lucky to have you, and your future daughters in law are even luckier!!! I wish I had a mother in law like this. I started writing a letter like this a few weeks ago, but as I was reading it, it was laced with animosity towards my mother in law. So thank you for showing me that there is love for “new” family members!!

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    • Aww Jacqui, thank you. I’m so sorry you haven’t been welcomed in with open arms as you deserve. That’s awful… In law situations are so hard and complicated. I pray things go this smoothly and that my boys pick the perfect women and they have great families and we all live happily ever after. I know it may not happen that way, but I sure pray it does and I know ill do all I can to make it happen. I had a horrible mother in law the first time around and it was awful. The second time around she meant well but we weren’t close because her Apple didn’t fall far from the tree if you know what I mean. So it was hard. My brothers chose good women who my mom loves and so I have seen it’s possible. I’m sorry it didn’t happen that way for you, but you can make it happen for your future children in law ❤

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  5. This is so incredibly heartfelt and beautiful. I love how you really pour yourself into your posts and leave it there. It’s a rare quality that not many other people possess. Thank you for again sharing from the heart, Rachael. ❤

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  6. This is beautiful. I feel/think the exact same. One time my mother in law apologized to me for the way my husband is. She said she coddled him and babied him and made him self-centered. It was sobering to me as a mother of a son. I am DETERMINED that my son will be a good husband and father some day. I might post about this sometime. It’s just so important. Thank you for sharing this with everyone. The mothers of little men need to read it.

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    • Thank you very much! Yes, I never want to have to apologize to someone about my son knowing that it was something I did to make him that way. There is a fine line between where we begin and they end in terms of beavior, but we are monumental in shaping their core values, esteem, respect for self and others, how they view the world, etc… so i take t hat very seriously and live each day to make the most of those things. Thank you for doing the same with yours! ❤

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  8. This is absolutely beautiful! I want my daughters to get a mother in law who feels like you do. I think so many people forget that they are raising adults, not children, and it’s wonderful that you already know that you have the responsibility of raising future husbands and the fathers of your future grandchildren. I hope my children choose spouses well, because I don’t dread being a mother in law as long as they get spouses who love them. I also try to keep in mind that I am raising grownups, and how I want them to act & think when they get there. Amazing post!!

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    • Thank you so much! I completely agree! It’s hard not to think of them as babies forever, but the truth is, they’re not and the values we implement early will be the roots that grown in them forever! It matters! And I agree… as long as my sons pick good women who love them and love God and family and themselves, all will be well and my heart can rest easy! So that is my prayer for them. Thanks again!!! ❤

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    • Wow Brooke, that means so much to me! Thank you ❤ I pray your daughters find beautiful men who will love them just like you and your husband do, and that your son grows up to do the same. I'm sure they will since they have a beautiful mama striving to give them the best each day! Thanks again! 🙂

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  13. You know, I avoided reading this post all week when I saw it because I just KNEW it would make me cry and I KNOW how beautiful your writing is. And I was absolutely right…this is so lovely and something I hope all moms of boys can feel/think/show now and to their future DILs. Ahh…but I just CAN’T right now…so emotional haha. Thank you for linking up at #MeetUpMonday with thequinntessentialmommy.com and me (although I missed hosting this week)!

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  16. This is something every mother who has a son would pray for.. I truly hope that one day my sons finds that daughter-in-law meant for him.
    Thank you for such beautiful letter.

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  17. Am I the only one who thinks ‘What about if one of your sons turn out to be gay?’ All respect, I loved the letter and how you show your love for your sons, but that smething that could happen…

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  18. Your article was beautifully written. My son is grown but I too prayed for my New daughter long before I knew her.. I also have 3 daughters and prayed for my new sons long before I knew them as well. The Lord has richly blessed us with a beautiful daughter in law and 3 wonderful son in laws.. They all love our Heavenly Father and are raising their children to love Him as well.. I have learned that though I may not always agree with how they do thing or agree with all the decisions that they make, it is best sometimes to keep silent and let them find their own way.. I know God has them in His hands and that their love is strong. There is such power in prayer… You keep praying mama, God will answer your prayers… I’ll be praying for you as you raise these beautiful boys..

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    • Wow I love this and it means so much. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement along the way, from a few steps ahead. It means a lot. ❤️ Your children and grandchildren are lucky and blessed to have your prayers and love all their lives.

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  19. I loved your letter. My only son is married and I always looked forward to him getting married and getting a daughter. I have been nothing but nice to my daughter n-law and she does not like me. I guess I offended her. Her Dad couldn’t go to their Wedding because he was dying which was very sad. After the Wedding I went to the hospital with breathing issues and asked when my son was going to come see me before they went to see her Dad. That was what offened her. They didn’t go to her hometown to see her Dad for 2 days after the Wedding. She can’t get over that. I have tried she is very distant. I am ready to give up. Sorry I have gone on so long.

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