My mother-in-law has always ruined milestones, so when she “accidentally” knocked over our gender reveal cake, the shock was her smirk. But my SIL’s unexpected turnabout ruined her smile! My mother-in-law is good at destroying milestones. This family mythology has haunted every important moment of our relationship. Let me describe her best devastation hits. Our wedding is a good example. Most mothers-in-law worry about matching the dress code, but she wore a cream outfit so close to white that my wedding planner nearly fainted. “It’s not white,” she said with her decades-old innocence. “It’s mere cream.” Photographs provide a different tale. In the sunlit church courtyard images, her outfit is almost blindingly white. When I initially saw those images and realized she’d damaged every one, I felt ill. The pregnancy announcement followed. We prepared a special moment to announce our news. Daniel and I chose elegant cards and a cozy restaurant for a family supper. Patricia outdid us. I received a Facebook notification on dinner day. She shared our pregnancy announcement with family tags. Devastated. She destroyed our careful planning and deprived us of the time to share the news together. She subsequently said, “I was just so excited,” but her apologies never quite reached remorse. What about baby names? Wow, another stunning border crossing. (continue reading in the 1st comment)
My mother-in-law has always ruined milestones, so when she “accidentally” knocked over our gender reveal cake, the shock was her smirk. But my SIL’s unexpected turnabout ruined her smile! My mother-in-law is good at destroying milestones. This family mythology has haunted every important moment of our relationship. Let me describe her best devastation hits. Our … Read more
