Mother in Laws...

Originally posted April 4, 2007

Sorry about the long time between blogs…it has been a rough last few weeks. Cole has had rotavirus pretty much the entire time and is just now getting over it, poor thing. Our house has been lysoled, cloroxed and disinfected to the point that I would feel quite comfortable eating off of the toilet seat. Not that I would actually do that of course, just sayin'. I have also been working very long hours, 7 days a week for so long now, that I no longer recall exactly how many weeks, really months…it has been. Ah well…I am sure this project I am on will end…SOME DAY.

So, I was thinking about how much I needed a break, a vacation of some kind, but I don't see that happening any time soon. A very good friend of mine has been trying to take a vacation with her husband for a good long while now, and it hasn't happened for her either. You see, I am not the only one that lives in perpetual Jerry Springerdom, she seems to have just about as much luck as I do in that regard. Since she doesn't read my blogs…I think we should talk about her. (muwahaha)

So my good friend is a really nice person. FAR FAR nicer than I am. FAR nicer on her worst days, than I will ever be on my best. Her favorite expression is, "well…I really don't mind". But I think I am starting to rub off on her in a not so good way. She seems to be less willing to take the crap than she ever did before. I haven't decided whether that is a good thing, or a bad thing. She was ugly to her mother recently, and actually said a bad word in front of her (justifiably), something she had NEVER done before. Of course, she was punished with the silent treatment for several months. I know you are supposed to show respect to your elders, particularly your parents…but at some point, you get to be 30+ years old, and you get a little sick of shoveling crap. Anyway, this story isn't even about her mother, something I could go on for days about. This story is about her mother-in-law. Insert Evil laughter here…

My friends MIL (mother in law) is a very nice woman. Much nicer than my friends own mother, but for some reason…her MIL insists on going everywhere with her son and my friend. If they go out to dinner, MIL goes. If they try to go shopping in a nearby city, MIL goes. If they go on a long weekend vacation, MIL goes, and sleeps in the other bed in the same hotel room. And each time my friend says…"Well, I really don't mind". To which I say…bullsh!t. Now, I don't know my MIL all that well, she lives a state away, and relations are somewhat distant between my husband and his parents (again, another story in which I could go on for days), but even if I did see her often…she would not be going on a romantic vacation with us. End of story. Not happening. Nope.

So, I can kind of tell that my friend is starting to lose a little patience with the situation because she is now gritting her teeth, when she says the immortal words, "well…I really don't mind". I just chuckle, because I know one day she is going to blow. So, who does the fault lie with? Her…her husband?.. her MIL? I am no psychologist, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express one time, so I feel qualified to answer this question. The fault lies with her husband. This problem pertains to HIS family…and he should handle it. But, he hasn't. Or maybe he has tried, but he can't tell his momma "no". She can be quite persuasive as I understand it. So what do you do?

Well, if my husband didn't handle it, then I would feel compelled to do so. However, I am not always a nice person and I have no problem "breaking things down" for people when pushed to do so. And seeing as how I can be direct, it would probably be in my husbands best interest to handle the problem himself, as I am sure he would soft pedal it in a way that he knows I won't. Anyway, when the time comes, and her back has been against the wall long enough, or she gets tired of sleeping with her MIL while on vacation with her husband…she will say or do something, and knowing her, she will handle it with a fair amount of grace. Like I said…she is a better person than me. Maybe she will start rubbing off on me in a good way.