Teen Gets Emotional Reading The Heartwarming Letter His Stepmother Wrote On His 18th Birthday — 'I Truly Hope I Was Able To Be A Loving Mother'
Family is about how we show up for each other, not our DNA.
Perfect Wave | Shutterstock Turning 18 marks both an end and a beginning. It can be a bittersweet time for parents and teens, as they get ready to move into the next chapter of their lives.
One young man received a gift that moved him to tears and reinforced how deeply loved he is.
The teen got emotional reading the heartwarming letter his stepmother wrote for his 18th birthday.
He described the moving moment in a post to the r/relationshipadvice subreddit, sharing background information about his family.
“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,” he wrote. “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.”
The teen acknowledged his love for his father, saying that his dad is “amazing in every way.”
His father and stepmom got married after the boy turned six years old and went on to have four children together.
“My mother always treated me like her own and never let me feel like an outsider or like a ‘half’ sibling,” he said. “I was always her son and big brother to all my siblings.”
On his 18th birthday, he spent the day celebrating with his family and then went to a party with friends that night. When he got home, everyone was asleep and he went to his bedroom to discover an envelope on his 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,” the boy said.
Twelve years earlier, his stepmom wrote a letter for him to open in the future, saying she would never dishonor his biological mother’s memory yet would try her best to be a mother figure in his life.
New Africa | Shutterstock
“She promised to kiss my forehead every morning before I got on the school bus,” the teen said. “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.”
Yet it was the last part of the letter that brought the teen to tears.
His mom addressed the passing of time, writing, “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.”
“I truly hope that in these last 12 years, I was able to be a loving mother and fulfill all my promises to you,” she wrote. “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.”
She included a photo that his father took of the two of them at the zoo when he was three years old.
The power of his stepmom’s letter lies in the fact that love isn’t solely defined by biological connection.
Around one-third of all children in the U.S. will live in a stepfamily household before reaching adulthood, as noted by a research study from 2016.
While kids in stepfamilies are twice as likely to go through adjustment issues compared to kids in biological nuclear families, the strength of their bond to their biological parents and stepparents makes a big difference in their emotional development.
This teen’s story is an example of what it means to be present in a child’s life and what the true meaning of family is. Family isn’t necessarily defined by biology but rather by how we show up for the people we love.
The teen shared how touched he was, noting, “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.”
“My mother fulfilled every promise she made 12 years ago, and I genuinely can’t imagine life without her,” he said.
Olezzo | Shutterstock
He spoke to the power of chosen family, saying that his mom “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.”
He wondered how he could thank her for her presence in his life, asking, “What’s something big or small I could do to show how grateful I am for her?”
Several people in the comments shared their own emotional reactions to the teen’s story, saying that the love he and his mom shared moved them to tears, too.
“Time for a tight hug and an ‘I love you, Mom,” one person wrote. Another woman agreed, saying, “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.”
The connection the teen and his mom share touched the hearts of strangers across the internet. Their love is a testament to what family really means.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers social issues, pop culture, and all things to do with the entertainment industry.