An Ode to a Rose
I first met her when she was on her way back to Africa. My father-in-law was there and he'd asked her to pick up a few things for him. Among the list was a tennis racquet. When she arrived, we had a visit outside on the deck. I asked her about my father-in-law and she found out a little about our family. Somewhere in the middle of our visit, she held my baby (#3) while I did a couple of other things. She left with the items she'd come for on the list and that might have been that.
Except that, as it turns out, my father-in-law and she started dating, fell in love, and got married. So the visit that day, foreshadowed many visits together as extended family.
A few years after they got married, they had a baby girl. My daughter was nine years old at the time, and enjoyed the novelty of taking her auntie in for show and tell at school. A few years after that, they had another baby girl. I used to joke about the fun I'd have taking my sisters-in-law to get a Happy meal and how much they'd enjoy the toy.
My mother-in-law is only a few years older than I, and once we all got over the shock of it, we had a lot of entertainment value from the looks on people's faces when we went to events together and explained how we knew each other.
I have to compliment my father-in-law for marrying this wonderful gal. Before too much time had passed, we recognized how fortunate we were to have her in our family. She has always taken an interest in our kids and their development. She is contemporary enough to enjoy the same kinds of movies, and can keep up with any of them on the ski hill. She has made our family a priority, which has gone a long way to ensuring that the generation gap is small.
Last Sunday, we celebrated Mother's Day with her. We knew it was a little late, but we had a great day as a family, talking and laughing and savoring the joy of being together. My husband wrote in her card that she is 'a rose in a weed patch' and I would concur. The ups and downs of being extended family have never stopped her from extending her heart towards us. We are truly blessed to have her in our lives.
Happy (belated) Mother's Day to the best m-i-l I could have asked for!
Except that, as it turns out, my father-in-law and she started dating, fell in love, and got married. So the visit that day, foreshadowed many visits together as extended family.
A few years after they got married, they had a baby girl. My daughter was nine years old at the time, and enjoyed the novelty of taking her auntie in for show and tell at school. A few years after that, they had another baby girl. I used to joke about the fun I'd have taking my sisters-in-law to get a Happy meal and how much they'd enjoy the toy.
My mother-in-law is only a few years older than I, and once we all got over the shock of it, we had a lot of entertainment value from the looks on people's faces when we went to events together and explained how we knew each other.
I have to compliment my father-in-law for marrying this wonderful gal. Before too much time had passed, we recognized how fortunate we were to have her in our family. She has always taken an interest in our kids and their development. She is contemporary enough to enjoy the same kinds of movies, and can keep up with any of them on the ski hill. She has made our family a priority, which has gone a long way to ensuring that the generation gap is small.
Last Sunday, we celebrated Mother's Day with her. We knew it was a little late, but we had a great day as a family, talking and laughing and savoring the joy of being together. My husband wrote in her card that she is 'a rose in a weed patch' and I would concur. The ups and downs of being extended family have never stopped her from extending her heart towards us. We are truly blessed to have her in our lives.
Happy (belated) Mother's Day to the best m-i-l I could have asked for!
Comments