One of the many things that endears you to me is your love for my sister Sally. You are the only daughter-in-law I know who could manage a week's car trip with her mother-in-law and come out of it singing her praises. Of course, Sally was special, but so are you, and she was lucky to have you as her first daughter-in-law. She couldn't have willingly given up her adored first child to anyone less!
There is so much to admire about you--your patience, your mothering abilities, your beauty, your sense of humor--but I think one of the things I admire most is your open mind. You are not driven by what others say you should think but by examining things with your eyes open. You are a true thinker, and you have the patience to listen to and discuss others' points of view and to consider them honestly. I wish I were better at doing that!
One of the benefits of having old friends is that they always remember you as you when you first became friends, so you'll always be a beautiful young woman in her 20s to me. But many women become their most physically beautiful in their 40s, so I'm sure you're now much more beautiful than even I remember you. Fortunately, inner beauty often grows age, so outer beauty becomes less important (I tell myself). In your case, though, it's hard to imagine your inner beauty ever being greater!
I think my nephew Kurt is a very special man in many ways, but not least because he was smart enough to choose you as his life partner. Happy birthday, dear April, and welcome to your 40s!
Love, Mary
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