I always thought that Mother-In-Laws were "old and grumpy". Little did I know that my teenage son about to graduate from high school, announced he was going to be a Father. He had gotten his High School Sweetheart pregnant. Since both sets of Parents didn't believe in abortions we arranged for them to get married at the rectory of a church. The same day they got married my "new" daughter-in-law moved into our house. I became The Mother-In-Law at the young age of 35. They had no place to stay and her mother didn't want them to live with them, and neither family had the financial resources to get their own residence. They couldn't anyway because they were teenagers, having not graduated from High School and had no jobs, no money. The only alternative was for them to come live with us. We took care of them and they left on their own after the baby was a year old. The relationship of "She's Not My Daughter-In-Law, She's My Son's Wife was a strange mix. As a Mother-In-Law I believe I gave her support not only financially but morally and spiitually. The gratitude I received was that she had to abide by her family wishes and not have my Grandaughter visit us because she was going to be confused. You see my Daughter-In-Law was Irish-American and we are Puerto Rican. I was "Other Mother-In-Law". Couldn't deny it, my pigmentation, hair and accent gave me away. For several years I was only allowed to see my Grandaughter when my Daughter-In-Law allowed it, such as Christmas and Mother's Day. After a few years my role as a Mother-In-Law ended as they got a divorce and they both got diffeent and seperate partners. At my Grandaughter's College Graudation it was strange, my Daughter-In-Law introduced me to a family that was there celebrating also, "I'd like to introduce you to my "Mother-In-Law"....Go Figure!
I always thought that Mother-In-Laws were "old and grumpy". Little did I know that my teenage son about to graduate from high school, announced he was going to be a Father. He had gotten his High School Sweetheart pregnant. Since both sets of Parents didn't believe in abortions we arranged for them to get married at the rectory of a church. The same day they got married my "new" daughter-in-law moved into our house. I became The Mother-In-Law at the young age of 35. They had no place to stay and her mother didn't want them to live with them, and neither family had the financial resources to get their own residence. They couldn't anyway because they were teenagers, having not graduated from High School and had no jobs, no money. The only alternative was for them to come live with us. We took care of them and they left on their own after the baby was a year old. The relationship of "She's Not My Daughter-In-Law, She's My Son's Wife was a strange mix. As a Mother-In-Law I believe I gave her support not only financially but morally and spiitually. The gratitude I received was that she had to abide by her family wishes and not have my Grandaughter visit us because she was going to be confused.
ReplyDeleteYou see my Daughter-In-Law was Irish-American and we are Puerto Rican. I was "Other Mother-In-Law". Couldn't deny it, my pigmentation, hair and accent gave me away.
For several years I was only allowed to see my Grandaughter when my Daughter-In-Law allowed it, such as Christmas and Mother's Day. After a few years my role as a Mother-In-Law ended as they got a divorce and they both got diffeent and seperate partners. At my Grandaughter's College Graudation it was strange, my Daughter-In-Law introduced me to a family that was there celebrating also, "I'd like to introduce you to my "Mother-In-Law"....Go Figure!
Thank you for sharing your story. Are there more out there?
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