Hello everybody!  I hope you guys are well.  You know the old saying, “When you marry someone, you marry their whole family as well.”  Sometimes that’s a complicated notion for people to understand and accept.  It can be tricky at times, especially if one doesn’t get along with their mother-in-law.  That’s one relationship, where stress levels can exceed the maximum if there’s animosity.  I’m very happy and lucky to say that I don’t have that problem.  There’s no monster-in-law in my life.  In fact, I get along with all my in-laws and it’s a pretty extended family because my husband’s parents aren’t together and his dad remarried.

At my mother-in-law’s (Lucy) house, I feel comfortable because she makes you feel at home.  She’s also a superb chef, and if there’s a gene for that, I believe my husband got it from her! 🙂 I’ve had a long time now to get to know Lucy.  19 years to be exact.  Sometimes I joke with my husband by telling him that I believe I know his mother better than he does.  We often call each other and talk about the kids.  My first daughter was her first grandchild.  I will never forget her reaction when I broke the news.  She made it priceless and I knew she would.  What I appreciate the most about Lucy nowadays is how she shares things about her life with me.  That inclusion means the world to me.  She accepts me, with all my flaws into her life.  She accepts me as the woman who married her son.  She accepts me as her daughter-in-law.  That acceptance is so peaceful.  There’s no animosity.  I wish many could feel the same way.

We recently went to visit Lucy in Pennsylvania where she lives.  She is currently taking extracurricular courses and she told us that she was very nervous when she took her first exam.  She called me last week to share the news that she passed.  I was very happy for her, proud as well and very thankful for the call.

I’m not going to say that our relationship has always been perfectly smooth, because there were hiccups, but nothing too severe, thankfully.  Every relationship is a work in progress.  The thing is, you have to put in the work if it’s worthwhile.

Take care all.  Until next time…