Dear Father-in-law,
I know you didn’t expect this letter, and trust me, I was surprised myself when I sat down to write it. I know there are many thoughts running through your mind. I have seen you look at me with both skeptical and loving eyes. I felt the way you hugged me a little too hard, to let me know that you could both protect and kill me.
I noticed the way your eyes were moist every time we all sat together planning our wedding. I saw the way you kept stealing glances at my wife-to-be, thinking of the times she was too young to get married. I know I will see you again at the altar, with teary eyes and for once, you will not hide your tears. I will see you again in the eyes of my wife when she will spend too many days away from you.
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This isn’t just a letter. Before I say my vows to my wife-to-be, I want to promise you something. I mean every word of what I am going to say here because seeing you look at my wife taught me a lot about life.
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Very shortly, you will become my father-in-law, but I promise you that I will do everything possible to be the son you would be proud to have. I vow to stand by your daughter in the darkest of times. I know you will always be her true king and no matter what happens, no one can take your place in her heart. I may not be as loving as you, but I will give everything in my heart to the daughter you adore so much.
I can’t promise that there will be no hard times ahead because you’ve seen a lot more life than me and we both know how unpredictable life can be. However, I do promise that I will not leave her, no matter how hard things get.
I saw the tears in your eyes as she kissed you goodbye the other night. I promise to love her enough that she will see a reflection of you in me. I promise to fill her life with so much love that she will be happy to be with me.
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You are not just the father of the bride, I promise to do every possible thing that a son would do if you had one. I know you will miss her on your 50th birthday party this year when she will be with me in Paris. I know you will hope to see her face every morning when you wake up.
While I can’t promise that she will see you every day, I do promise that I will try to make every day beautiful for her. I want to promise you that I am going to be the best son-in-law you could ever have. I promise that even when things aren’t going well and I may be going through an emotional upheaval, I won’t let this impact my life or my relationship.
One day, I may have a daughter of my own. That day, I will know what it feels like to walk in your shoes. Today, I am just another son; one day, I will know what being a dad feels like. I promise that I will give your daughter the kind of life that will make you hug me and say, “Son, you make me proud.”
Do you know why I am promising all of this? The reason is that 30 years down the line, when I give my daughter’s hand in marriage, I want her to see me the way your daughter sees you. I want to feel that affection and love radiate out of her. I want to be a good enough dad for my darling daughter who will someday come into this world.
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I promise to keep your daughter as happy as I possibly can and I promise that I won’t let her tears ruin the twinkle in her glittery eyes. I have seen the way she worships you and even if I can be half of what you mean to her, I would love to have lived up to the image.
I want you to know that I would always love the love she has for you. She might become my wife, but she will always be your darling daughter, and nothing will ever change anything between the two of you.
Even if she finds it a little hard to adjust to this new phase, I promise to be as patient with her as you were when you first taught her how to speak. She has told me numerous stories of how you were her hero and taught her every little thing without losing your cool. You may be her dad, and we are not linked by blood, but I want to be your doting son too.
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I promise you that when things may not be going well for her, I will console her in the right way. I saw her looking at your picture yesterday while looking through a family album. She made me sit with her and she told me about the time when you hid your tears when she had her first big fall from the bicycle you gave her on her 7th birthday. She told that the hurt healed the moment you kissed her scraped knee.
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I promise you that every time she falls, I will be there to heal her wounds. I promise you that even if I can’t be the best husband on earth, I will try to be the best version of me. I can’t promise you that I will give her a life where she will see no tears, but I promise that she will spend a large part of her life wrapped in smiles and I promise that I will walk an extra mile just to ensure that she lives a life that will make you happy.
Today, as you walk down the aisle and hand her over, I promise you that she will always be yours – first and foremost. She told me that you always told her that love knows no reason. It comes in too many shades and the presence of one doesn’t obliterate the other. You will always be the real king for her and I will try to walk in your footsteps. I have known you through her eyes and the picture she has painted has taught me what love is.
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I promise you that by choosing to marry her to me, you are not going to lose a daughter, rather you are getting a son who will be by your side through thick and thin. Life is never a predictable journey and we all face many different experiences. However, promises are likely to stay even when people don’t.
I mean every word of my promise and I want you to believe in me. I have loved your daughter since the first day my eyes clapped on her. She had the kind of beauty that could knock anyone down. But it was the kindness in her eyes that made me fall in love with her. As I dated her, I realized she has many good qualities that come from you and I want you to know that the bond between us will not change the love between you and her.
She will always be the daughter you held in your arms. You will always be the bearer of her secrets, and her true inspiration. I wish to be the kind of dad you are. I hope that my future daughter loves me the way my wife-to-be loves you. I hope this letter will help you trust me enough to see me not as a son-in-law, but your son who will keep your daughter happy, no matter what.
I want you to trust me enough to smile when you hand your daughter because the love is so overpowering.
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Sir,
Before I say my vows to your daughter, I vow that I will stick to these promises and I will do everything possible to ensure that your daughter’s smile stays the exact same as it always was with you.
I promise that every time you read this letter, you will be proud of the person your daughter picked! I promise to give her the best of me and I promise that no matter what life has in store for us, we will stand together and smile.
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I promise to stay in love with her, today, tomorrow, and every day until we meet our forever.
For all the promises made to you, the father of the bride, I say;
I do.
I do.
I do.
With love,
Your SON
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