We have been blessed with 18 years of marriage so far, 5 children and 1 one on the way.

I have always been closer to my in-laws than my own family. My father died 11 years ago and my father-in-law 10 years ago. After that time, my mother-in-law became my best friend, mentor, extra hand around the house, and babysitter when needed. She bought an RV to travel in, and when she wasn't on the road she called our house "home."

She was present at the birth of the first 4 of our boys and when our 5th was a girl she became her best friend, too and even shared a bedroom with her. My daughter turned 4 in June, just 2 weeks after my mother-in-law died suddenly of a massive heart attack and our family has been slowly adjusting to life without her presence with us every day.

I wish more women could be as blessed as I was to have had such a shining example of a loving, giving, and special mother-in-law who I always called "Mom."

Dionne