Mother-in-Law

It is crazy to think that I am the “mother-in-law”.

I am a mom of boys, so I knew that I would be the “mother-in-law”, one day, or at least I had hoped to be.

I don’t know if this is true, but being a mother-in-law when you have only sons and no daughters, seems to put a whole different “curve” in the meaning.  

Mother-in-laws of sons seem to get a bad rap. I mean, I have heard the word in such a dreaded negative tone. I have also heard some pretty crazy things that mother-in-laws have done or have said to their daughter-in-laws and vice versa.

I had one mother-in-law in my life and our time together was too short. I had so many more adventures for her and me to share. I had three young guys that were all under the age of 7, that I wanted her to see grow and to become the young men that they are today. God had other plans for her, so I live my “mother-in-law” role, like she had exampled to me.

I know that some young women, are not the easiest to befriend and honestly, to maybe love. It may be where they are in their life or their relationship that they have with their own mother.

Daughters-in-laws may think that their mother-in-law may be a little overbearing, but that man, that is their husband today, at one time, loved his mom with all his heart and would do anything to see her smile. He would cup her face with his chubby toddler hands and give her a sweet open mouthed sloppy kiss that she knew to not wipe away, as those days would pass.

Moms of boys raise their sons to be the kind of man, that will take care of his wife one day and to love and cherish her with all his heart. She was rooting for you before she even met you.

We do not expect the woman that our son marries to reflect us. We are not in competition for his attention nor his love. We have it. One thing about boys, there is always a place in a mom’s heart that little boys imprint for life.

If a “mother-in-law” feels respected, loved, and included by that daughter-in-law, she will always have her back, or “six”, as us military moms say.

I am so lucky, so far. My oldest son chose a young woman that makes me laugh, shows me love, and has true concern for me. She includes me, which means a lot. We spend holidays together, which may be silly, but I was told that once your son gets married to not plan on having holidays on the true holiday day. I was told that the daughter-in-law’s family will always take precedence, so having only boys, I was preparing for very lonely Thanksgivings, Christmases, Easters and more. I am thankful for my daughter-in-law and for her family for not allowing that to happen, especially thankful for the example they have been to her. Not all holidays are spent together, but we do get some and that “fills my cup”.

Mothers of men, need to embrace the women that their sons’ call, “wife” and love them, as having a daughter-through-love, is so much more than just having a “daughter-in-law”.