This weekend, I had the pleasure of celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary with my In-Laws. They celebrated this special milestone with their three children and three out of their four grandchildren. It was heartwarming to see how much in love they still are with one another after being together for so many years. I could tell by their beaming smiles how happy they were to be surrounded by their kids and grandkids and it really made me reflect on what they both have meant to me since Hubby and I have been together. You see, although my Mother In Law Donna is technically my husband's stepmother, she has always treated me like a daughter and always made me feel like part of the family. Additionally, my husband has never considered her anything less than his mother. In light of the fact that my husband's biological mother does not speak to me or to my children, the fact that Donna has stepped into both the roles of Mother in Law to me and grandmother to our boys … [Read more...]
The MIL Strikes Again…
Those of you who are regular readers of this blog know that I do not have the best relationship with my Mother In Law. Actually, to say that we have a bad relationship is an understatement, the woman hates me. To fully understand the history between us, you would have to perform a search of this blog and go back in the archives to read about all the wonderful things that she has done to me over the years. My problem is that I am a glutton for punishment because, when it comes to family, I always let them get away with a lot more than I normally would with non-relatives. This is probably what caused our most recent run-in with one another, the fact that I am a sucker for family and that she is determined to get at me in any way shape or form that she possibly could. After the fact, I am still at a loss over whether I asked for it or whether she is just a truly disturbed individual. You decide... Let me go back, if I may to about six months ago when I received a friend … [Read more...]
Reality Check
This week I was watching The Real Housewives of New Jersey and I had an epiphany. Now, don't judge me for being a reality TV fan because it is a great escape from the stresses of daily life and I am not going to be apologetic about it. Everyone has some guilty pleasure that they engage in to wind down from work and life. In any case, let me get back to some of the things that this show made me realize about family dynamics and relationships... It's important that I give you a brief overview of what happened on the show in order for you to follow my train of thought. A brother and sister who used to be close found themselves involved in a now strained relationship due to the fact that they each did not get along with the others' spouses. Throughout the episode, one could see how the spouses influenced the reactions of the siblings by making innuendos and deliberately creating conflict. Believe it or not, it was interesting to me to watch this situation from … [Read more...]
Do Unto Others…
This week, my wonderful Mother In Law pulled another one of her fast ones. Those of you who have been following this blog for awhile know all too well about my MIL's shenanigans. In case you just recently started following, you can read about the wonderful Thanksgiving visit that she bestowed upon us last year. You see, she has a way of turning any joyous occasion into sheer torture. Just to give you a little background, my MIL does not like me at all. As far as she is concerned, I am not worthy to be married to her son because I am not strict Born Again Christian like she is. Now, let me be crystal clear, I have nothing against Born Again Christians whatsoever. As a matter of fact, that is the religion that my husband was raised in and, although he is non-practicing, he still lists this as his religion on all legal documents. My MIL, on the other hand, looks down upon anyone who does not adhere word for word to everything that is written in the … [Read more...]
