My (18M) (step)mother (39F) wrote a letter to my 18-year old self when she married my father (43M). How do I even begin to thank her?

An 18-year-old Reddit user shares an emotional moment after receiving a letter from their stepmother, who wrote it 12 years ago, just before marrying their father. The letter was filled with promises of love, support, and devotion to the user, even though they had no biological connection.

The user reflects on how their stepmother has fulfilled every promise, and they are now seeking advice on how to thank her for being such a loving and supportive mother figure.

‘ My (18M) (step)mother (39F) wrote a letter to my 18-year old self when she married my father (43M). How do I even begin to thank her?’

My mother is not my biological mother but I will be referring to her as my mother in this post because that’s what she is to me. My biological mother passed away giving birth to me and I was raised solely by my father for the first three years of my life until he met my mother.

I won’t be talking much about my father in this post. My father is amazing in every way but this about my mom. They got married months after my sixth birthday and they have had four more kids. My mother always treated me like her own and never let me feel like an outsider or like a “half”-sibling.

I was always her son and big brother to all my siblings. Yesterday, I had my 18th birthday and I spent the afternoon with my family and went to a party with my friends in the evening. When I got back home, everyone was already asleep and there was an envelope on my pillow.

I opened it and it was a letter that my mother had written addressed to my 18-year old self the day before she married my father. 12 years ago, she wrote that letter telling me that she would never dishonor my biological mother’s memory but would try her best to be a mother figure to me.

She promised to kiss my forehead every morning before I got on the school bus, she promised to always encourage my interests and would try her hardest to come to every practice and game of mine, she promised to never differentiate between me and any potential future siblings in any way and many more beautiful promises.

She ended it by saying “You’re an 18-year old now – an adult and are hopefully heading to college soon and you no longer have any formal reason to maintain a relationship with me but I truly hope that in these last 12 years,

I was able to be a loving mother and fulfill all my promises to you and I can only hope that you will continue to give me the privilege of being your mom because you will always be my son. I love you.” and had a picture my father took of her and my three year old self at a zoo.

Like my father, I’m a stoic but in tune with my emotions kind of person. This letter had me crying and I have not been able to stop reading it again and again and it’s currently 4am as I type this. My mother fulfilled every promise she made 12 years ago and I genuinely can’t imagine life without her.

She opened her arms and heart to a boy who she had zero biological responsibility toward and has been the most loving and supportive mother I could possibly ask for. How do I even begin to thank her for everything she did for me? What’s something big or small I could do to show how grateful I am for her?

Here’s the input from the Reddit crowd:

Hiker2190 −  I’m not crying, YOU’RE crying! What a wonderful woman, and what a wonderful young man. You take that note to her, you hug her, and you tell her that you could not have asked for a better mom. And you thank her for everything she has been to you these past 12 years.

Piilootus −  Why not write her a letter with what you have here? Or maybe you could put it in a card with some flowers?

LouisV25 −  Time for a tight hug and a I LOVE YOU MOM.

trishsf −  You know what you do? You read her this post. Nothing would come close to being more meaningful. It’s so refreshing to hear such a wonderful story.

WhiteLion333 −  Maybe you can write her a letter with the promises you make to her, as her son, for the future? Parents will always miss their children if they travel, fall in love, move away etc. Letting her know the impact she had on you and how you see your future together (the thing she mentioned she hoped for) would be very loving.

gringaellie −  Has she adopted you? If not, would you consider asking her to?

[Reddit User] −  Crying at this act of love on both sides. Simply go give her a hug. Like the really good kind and don’t let go first- let her let go first. Moms of sons appreciate that. And just say thank you.

GualtieroCofresi −  Show her this and tell her she made the internet cry with you.

Electronic_World_894 −  Here’s what you do: you give her a a big hug, kiss her on *her* forehead, and tell her she fulfilled every promise. Promise, that’s all you have to do. (But if you go away to college/uni, text or call her at least once a week too.)

metsgirl289 −  Ok so now I’m crying too. How do you thank her? By loving her back. By telling her she is your mom in every way that matters. That age and time will never change who she is to you. I’m the letter, I hear a vow to always treat and love you as her own and hope that you will feel the same way.

I think telling her that you do would help a alleviate a fear in many stepparents minds that the relationship won’t be as close in adulthood. But mostly I’m very very happy for you.