After our son married, he scarcely visited us anymore. Now, he spends nearly all his time with his mother-in-law, who always seems to need some urgent assistance. I often wonder how she managed before her daughter wed our son.
Our son has been married for well over two years now. Not long after their wedding, the young couple moved into a flat wed purchased for him when he first started university. Hes always had our unwavering support and understanding since he was a boy, and even before his marriage, he began living independently, as his flat was conveniently close to his workplace.
I wont claim I disliked my daughter-in-law. At the time, I simply thought she wasnt quite mature enough for married life, even though our son is only two years her senior. She often behaved very childishly, sometimes fancifully so. Our son is such a kind soul, and I worried how hed fare sharing his life with someone so childlike.
Upon meeting her and her mother, their natures became clear. Although my sons mother-in-law is the same age as I, she carries herself like a child. Perhaps youve encountered such folks, those who remain as innocent and helpless as children well into their later years? She was endlessly immature and practically incapable. By the time her daughter married my son, she had already gone through six divorces.
We shared little conversation, as she lived in her own world, but at least she never imposed herself upon us. Our exchanges were strictly limited to the polite congratulations exchanged during our childrens wedding celebrations.
The first hints of trouble arrived just before the wedding. My daughter-in-law constantly brought our son round to her mothers place: a dripping tap would need sorting, or a faulty socket needed replacing, and a shelf had fallen from the kitchen wall. At first, I shrugged it offthere wasnt a man in her home, after all, so our sons help was probably needed.
However, as time went on, the number of household crises didnt diminish. Our son persistently turned us down, claiming he and his wife had to visit her mother. Eventually, they began celebrating all holidays at the mother-in-laws house, leaving just myself, my husband, and my mother-in-law at ours.
It stung when our son stopped coming to family gatherings, but it became even worse when he started ignoring requests for help.
Once, we bought a new refrigerator and asked our son to help bring it in. He agreed at first, but then rang to say he couldnt make it because he and his wife were needed at her mothersher washing machine had sprung a leak.
When my wife called our son, she overheard my daughter-in-law complaining, Couldnt your parents hire a moving crew? Our son eventually arrived but appeared thoroughly disgruntled.
Dad, couldnt you just call the professionals? Now I have to lug this about myself!
I lost my resolve and questioned why his mother-in-law didnt ring a handyman herself. Perhaps she lives in a world where such professionals dont exist? My son explained that tradesmen would only take money without fixing anything at all, so she counted on him.
My husband couldnt hold his tongue any longer and remarked that perhaps our sons mother-in-law didnt know a thing about appliances, but she was a true shepherdshe certainly knew how to lead someone around by the nose. Our son was deeply offended and stormed out. At the time, I kept silent, privately agreeing with my husband that our new relatives had taken up permanent residence on our sons back. He was always the plumber and repairman for them, yet forgot his way home to us, never finding time for his own family.
Following that quarrel, our son refused to speak to his father for more than a fortnight. My husband, in turn, wouldnt be the first to make peace. Now I found myself caught between the two, torn and exhaustedmy husband was right, but perhaps he could have been gentler. Now our son has turned resentful, avoiding his father, and I refuse to lose him over such foolishness.
My husband declined to contact our son, and our son stubbornly declared he wouldnt make the first move until his father apologized. In this situation, only the mother-in-law seems content!
