Please Forward to Heaven

To: Tom and Wilma R.
Address: Heaven
From: Your daughter-in-law

Hello, you two. I'm glad you are finally together. Wilma, I know you missed your husband very much for those few years you had left on Earth after he moved on. We were glad you stayed, though. Your son needed you after his dad died. You got to see a lot of the events in our lives. Graduations, holidays, a wedding. I'm just so sorry you missed seeing your great-grandson born. You just missed it by a few months. I hope you were both watching from up there. 'Cause he is pretty wonderful.

We appreciate the fact that we never once, in all the years the kids were growing up, paid a babysitter. You all were their baby-sitters. You adored both of them and treated them like little royal children come by for a visit.

We couldn't have bought our first house if it weren't for you two helping us with the downpayment. And I wouldn't be a teacher now if you hadn't paid our mortgage for us while I had to take time off work to student teach. You paid our day care bills for years when we couldn't stretch our finances any further. You bought our children shoes and clothes.

We had some wonderful meals at your house. Wilma, I have managed to duplicate your peanut butter fudge and caramel frosting but we will never again have gravy like you made it. Tom, how come your grilled out steaks tasted so much better than ours? Wilma bought me the most beautiful peignoir set I have ever owned. Tom changed the oil in my car.

I have your china displayed in your china cabinet and your silver and we use it on every holiday. We are taking good care of your house. We get together there for meals served on your dining room table. Liz has your mother's china cabinet and her china and treasures it. I have your mother's silver saved for Mark. We appreciate and love these family heirlooms.

I hope you are happy. I think you are. I can't imagine Heaven any other way. We miss you. I wish you could hold Wesley and smell his head and his neck. He smells so indescribably good.

We will see you again someday. And, by the way, if you see my dad? Give him a hug for me.