Being a decent mother-in-law can be tough considering how many jokes you hear about them. There’s definitely a unique bond between in-laws. Some would call it something different, that’s for sure! Yet, you really have no say in the matter when it comes to who your children fall in love with, do you?
No one hands you an instruction book of how a mother-in-law should act. Most just jump in and do what comes naturally and figure out if it works or not. All I know is I lucked out. I may not be the perfect mother-in-law—it’s a new thing for me going on a year and a half now—but I have learned a thing or two along the way.
1. Unconditional love and support.
2. Respect.
3. Find common ground.
I say I lucked out because I liked Stephen from the moment I met him. He had a love for family and wanted to spend time with his girlfriend’s parents: Guy and myself. How’s that for flattery? Haha! We love our daughter, Giselle. We give our son-in-law unconditional love and support the same way. You nurture a plant for optimum growth so why wouldn’t you do the same for the closest people in your lives? It’s important to build people up and to believe in them.
We had respect for Stephen because, first of all, he would drive an hour to date Giselle. That says something in my book. He’s a hard worker, has oodles of patience and is in it for the long run. What’s not to respect about that?
And, lastly, finding common ground was easy. Stephen is a farmer and I love to garden. We both love the outdoors and can discuss plants all day long. But what set Stephen apart from other farmers who work the land, is that he raises sheep. When he told me about the labouring mama sheep, difficult births, helping the newborns latch for nursing, and the feeding issues involving twins and triplets, it hit close to home. I’m an obstetrical nurse and experience similar situations. We bonded easily.
So, every spring I am eager to see the baby lambs. Having a peek inside my son-in-law’s world makes me even prouder of him. Check out the pics!
Look at the sheep wondering who was entering their pen.
Here’s my daughter, Giselle.
Sheep cuddles are the best!
The baby lambs are heavier than they appear! That’s me trying to get a grip on one of them.
The farm dog, Molly, led us to the tractors once we left the sheep.
I love how the reflection of the red barn is seen in the tractor!
My son-in-law wanted to show me the tractor his grandfather drove long ago. Stephen’s carrying on the family tradition with pride.
Stephen’s love of farming was evident during his farm tour. Lucky is the man who loves his work, and lucky is this mom-in-law to welcome Stephen into the fold. Let’s allow those mother-in-law jokes to be just that: jokes.
I think all moms hope their children marry good people. Well, Stephen is more than good people. He’s like the Good Shepherd. Kindhearted, trustworthy and a protector of his flock.
Nurture family—nurture your own flock!
myowncalcuttablog.com 