There is no one like her, really.
She is of generous spirit.
She is warm and kind.
She is gentle, yet strong.
She is loving and tender.
She is my mother-in-law.
I know, I am extremely lucky.
I have heard too many stories of nightmarish in-laws.
Of interfering, bossy, unsupportive in-laws.
When I met her for the first time for lunch, she took the hand I extended to
her, clasped it close and said she was thrilled to meet me. She asked all
about me, my family, genuine interest in every word, every smile, every nod
of the head.
When my husband and I got married, she embraced me and told me that we are
now family. She turned to her other two sons and said, "She is your sister
now."
When I told her about my pregnancy, she teared up and told me she was so
happy for me, for my husband. For the next 8 months, she made sure she
cooked me food that nurtured my pregnancy, my health. She knitted blankets,
hats, mittens, shoes, all gorgeous in their miniature form.
When my son, her first grandchild was born, she hugged me, said
congratulations and told me I would make a good mother. She took care of me,
like I was her own. She cooked nutritious meals for me, made me cups of
tea.
She showed me how to bathe a newborn, how to get a onesie over his delicate
head, how to swaddle him.
She looked after the baby so I could sleep, take a hot shower that lasted
more than 2 minutes, pumped milk.
Because of her, I now have a few hours of time to myself every day. She and
my father-in-law look after my toddler every afternoon. She thanks me for
that. She sees it not as a chore, or a favor, nor out of necessity. She
LOVES having him there.
She helped me potty train him. She makes him lunch some days, dinner every
day. She makes sure he gets snacks. She takes him out for walks. She makes
him clothes. She's sewing him a quilt.
She does all this out of love. Love for my son, love for her son, my
husband, love for me.
She has no idea how much she means to me. How different my life would be if
I did not have her in it. How different my son's life would be.
I hope that some day, she will know.
This post was written by Alison of the blog Mama Wants This! To learn more about Alison check out her very interesting bio.
