An Ode To The Mother-In-Law I Was Supposed To Hate

More Stories like:

โ€œI wanted to hate her because I thought I was supposed to.

Because the stigma society lays out is so big.

Because I wasnโ€™t married when I got pregnant by her son, unexpectedly.

Because I was that rebel woman, struck down by a hard life, almost too independent and broken to be loved, but who her son so fiercely loved regardless.

Advertisement

Because someday, she would become my mother-in-law.

I wanted to hate her because everything about the way it should have gone didnโ€™t go as planned.

I wanted to hate her because the whole mom thing failed with me growing up, so why would I want one now?

I wanted to hate her because I knew I would never make those crushed candy cane cookies as good as her, let alone because Iโ€™ll never be a baker.

Advertisement

I wanted to hate her because she gave me mammoth-sized shoes to fill and I thought I couldnโ€™t fill them without stepping on her toes.

By the time we were ready to give birth, my desire to fill her shoes shifted to a desire to walk beside her.

And all those big scary stigmas the world shaped and told me all about faded away, and I could see her there for all she was, just like me โ€“ a mother.

A mother.

Advertisement

In all her relatable, vast, and humorous glory.

A mother you could never hate. Not even a smidge, a speck, or an ounce โ€“ not even a little.

Because she is the one who raised the man who helps me raise my own children.

A mother who just wants to love her big kid just as much as I love my little one.

Advertisement

A mother who loves regardless of where youโ€™re going or where you come from.

A mother you can drink-double with, laugh with, and learn from.

A mother with the best cooking and honestly, the best cookies.

A mother-in-law; one who just wants to love her big kid, just as much as I love my little one.โ€

Advertisement
mother in law and daughter in law on wedding day posing by the water
Courtesy of Wall Flower Writing

This story was submitted toโ€ฏLove What Mattersโ€ฏ by Wallflower Writing at Detroit Moms. You can follow her journey on Instagram and her website. Submit your own story here, and be sure toโ€ฏsubscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, andโ€ฏYouTube for our best videos.

Read more stories like this here:

โ€˜Are you excited your soon-to-be mother-in-law is staying for 2 weeks?โ€™ Terrified, I accepted the invite. Was she putting on a show?โ€™: Woman pens letter to mother in law after losing her to cancer

โ€˜My mother-in-law wore a wedding dress to MY wedding. I didnโ€™t think to ask what she planned to wear. It ended without anyone being shoved into the champagne fountain.โ€™

Advertisement

โ€˜My mother-in-law always joked about being our surrogate.โ€™ Mother-in-law โ€˜blessedโ€™ to serve as surrogate for โ€˜sweet baby boyโ€™

โ€˜I married my husband, and received the gift of a cheerleader. From day one, she scooped me up and loved me like her own.โ€™: Woman thanks mother-in-law for โ€˜unconditional loveโ€™

Spread beauty and strength for others. SHARE this story on Facebook with family and friends.

Subscribe to our Living Better newsletter.

Your ultimate guide for actionable insights, evidence-backed advice, and captivating personal stories propelling you towards a more fulfilling life.

    โ€‹

     Share  Tweet