And so it begins
The Season
Visitors
Week Long
Visitors
Mother-In-Law plus 1
Visitors
Oh Goody
32 years as a Daughter-In-Law
10 years of hoping
(I’d disappear?)
Almost…(Once)
But not quite
Another 21 of tolerating me
1 year of resignation
What next?
Will I finally pass muster?
This week may tell
I leave you with this…
Just kidding
In all fairness, it’s more like this…
Oh alright, it’s not THAT bad
They are just house guests after all
Right?
What’s the worst that could happen?
Oh
See ya next week
Maybe
ps) Kat…hope you don’t mind my stealing two of your gifs
pss) B…if you still read this blog, laugh now.
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Now, I hope you all know me enough by now to know that I am picking fun here. My Mother-In-Law is a strong, intelligent, sensitive woman and we get along famously. It just took us some time to find our own relationship, as it did my husband and his Mother-In-Law. There is love and there is respect and that is all there needs to be.
It’s important to let the seeds of this relationship grow naturally, organically, outside that of the child/spouse connection.
There is nothing in the rules of marriage handbook (and I’m sure there is one out there, somewhere) that says you have to love or even be friends with your spouse’s mother.
It helps, but it’s also okay if not.
(I don’t know why, but Fathers-In-Law relationships do NOT have the same dynamic)
Love doesn’t happen just because she birthed your spouse nor for the fact that you happened to choose her child as a life mate.
That just opens the door. To be welcomed in and invited to take up space in their hearts, you must be worthy in your own right.
If there’s any hope for a relationship, there has to be respect. On both sides. And, because you’ve both earned it.
Respect is one of those things we each feel we deserve.
Just because.
Not so.
As with any relationship in life, whether personal or professional, we can respect the title/position, but the person in it, must earn it.
Also, as we cannot choose our blood relations, we do our best to love them because of our common link, but we often find ourselves in the position of not respecting them for various reasons.
Love but don’t respect – common in relationships to those we are born into.
But for those to whom we have no connection other than by proxy via our spouse, if we do not/cannot develop a familial love, we can at the least hope to develop a relationship based on mutual respect.
If not (especially if your spouse is close to your In-Law) then personally, I’d say your marriage has a boot on its neck.
Especially evident when you and your spouse have kids of your own…
Becoming a Mother-In-Law can be daunting if the relationship with the new son/daughter lacks respect as well as the love connection.
Could you imagine becoming a grandparent to the little seed of your precious apple in a relationship fraught with tension and stress because either you or your In-Law or your spouse were always on the defensive?
Nahhhh…that’s for the birds and a bit like cutting off your limb to spite your trunk, if you know what I mean.
So, this Mother’s Day, it is with high hopes that all the wives and husbands who share porch space with me here, boast a happy, healthy, loving relationship with your respective Mothers-In-Law. If not, I sincerely hope you share one of mutual respect.
If not yet, work on it. It’ll make all the difference in the world…to ALL of you.
If you’re a newbie, or a work in progress, keep at it.
The door opened the day you got married…it’s up to you to be welcomed inside.
Conversely…to all the Mothers-In-Law out there still struggling with the addition to the family…
It is with respect I say this…
“They are married.
You didn’t lose one, you gained one.
You did your job, now enjoy the fruits of your labor while they make fruits of their own.
Resist when you’re not asked.
Be there when you are.
And if you can’t…try harder.
Should you choose the right road, and it IS a choice, you’ll end up smack-dab in the middle of the intersection of Love Lane and Respect Avenue.
HAPPY♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥MOTHER’S♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥DAY
Mom and Bertha
I love you
50 Shades of Gray Hair 
Lovely post Rhonda and so very true. I had a moment of darkness in the early years that almost caused a breakup – battled on and we now respect and almost love each other 😉 have a good one!
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I can relate and a side note…whoever said the first year was the hardest never made it to two…bless you guys, love ya and have a good one too! xo
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Happy Mother’s Day to you dear Rhonda ~ what’s not to love about you? Really! 🙂 xoxo
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Aw thanks Yvonne, but you’d be surprised how easy it is to find ‘something’…ya know? lol
Happy Mother’s Day dear friend, hope you are surrounded by love and light all the day. xoxo
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May you have the loveliest day as well dear Rhonda! xo
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Great post – and so true…Twenty odd years later, we’re still here – and there’s NO doubt that the first year was the easiest…there were a couple of iffy years in between…Happy to be on the other side of that…Happy Mom’s Day WW! xox, m
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I find the ‘Hills are still alive’ if you catch my drift..but I’m no worse for the climbing. I need the exercise anyway. Love you Mim and hope your day is all you could wish for. xoxo
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There is so much I would like to expound on here….but I will instead wish you a Happy Mother’s Day!!! (while I mumble quietly to myself) Hugs!
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Thank you Paula…hope yours was wonderful. And as fort expounding… Anytime you get the urge come back and do so
xoxo
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Witty and wise – perfect combination!
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