When my big brother married my sister-in-law in October, I sobbed and sobbed during the ceremony and at the beginning of the reception.

During the ceremony, I mostly cried because it was a wedding, and, well, who doesn’t cry at weddings?

But during the reception, I cried when my sister-in-law, Brenna, danced with her father, and I cried even harder when my brother, Ty, danced with our mom.

Throughout the day, there were several mentions of Brenna’s mom, whom she lost when she was in high school. From leaving an open seat at the ceremony for her to the dress made from her mom’s wedding dress and Brenna wearing her mom’s ring, it was quite emotional, as one might imagine.

My crying went on for quite a while as I couldn’t stop thinking about how Brenna had lost her mom so young. My heart hurt for her. I’d imagine she would have done anything to have her mom there that day — and every day — and I wanted nothing more than for her to have that, too.

Just the thought of losing my mom puts me in disarray. When my brother danced with my mom, seeing the way they hugged, knowing how close the two of them are, and how close I am with my parents as well, I just couldn’t stop the tears.

As soon as I could, I ran over to my mom, hugged her, and told her how much I love her.

My mom is my best friend, and I’d be utterly lost without her. She’s the first person I want to tell my good news and the person I confide in most. She knows everything — even when she doesn’t. Heck, I’m 24 and still talk to her before taking medication when I’m sick, as if she went to med school.

I value her, her opinions, her experience, her time, and everything else she does and is, and I hope she knows that.

We have our differences, of course, but even when I’m angry or upset, it doesn’t last long, and I’ll call her a few hours later with an apology, and we go back to the way things were.

As sorry as I am about my sister-in-law losing her mom, I think that she gained a pretty great mother-in-law when she married my brother. I think she got a pretty cool sister-in-law, too, but that’s a topic for another time.

My mom has been so kind to Brenna since the first time Ty brought her home to meet the family. To this day, she treats her like one of her own.

During the wedding planning, my mom was there for whatever the two of them needed. As the mother-of-the-groom, she never tried to overstep, but knowing Brenna had lost her mom, she made herself available to her for whatever advice or help she could provide as a mom.

I think my mom learned a lot about being a good mother-in-law from my grandma — my dad’s mom — seeing as she has been a rock for my mom since my mom’s mom passed away 20 years ago.

Even before then, my grandma was always good to my mom. I’m sure if you talked to her, she’d say that she likes my mom more than my dad most days.

I’m so grateful to her, not just because she’s an amazing grandmother, but for the way she loves my mom. She’s there for her — and the rest of us — in the same way my mom is there for me.

She’s the opposite of the mothers-in-law that you hear horror stories about.

I’m grateful to my mom’s mom, too. Though she passed when I was 3, and I never got the chance to really know her, she clearly taught my mom to be the amazing mother that she is.

Sometimes I get upset for my mom because I don’t really remember grandma, but I still miss her and wish I could have known her the way that my mom knew her. I wish she could see us now. I know she’d be proud of my mom for the person and the mom that she is. I know I am.

This Mother’s Day, let’s celebrate the mothers, the grandmothers, the mothers-in-law, the godmothers, the step-mothers, and every other mother figure. They deserve our appreciation for all that they do.

And, to my mom, grandma, and godmother: I love you all, and I am so grateful for you and the love and support you give me. You all have shown me the woman I want to be and the mom I hope to be someday (far in the future).

Happy Mother’s Day!

Torianna Marasco can be reached at 989-358-5686 or tmarasco@TheAlpenaNews.com.