Nothng Short of a Miracle

[Crazy4Canning]

Most of you have heard of issues I've been dealing with surround my mother-in-law (MIL) for over five years now.

 

Well, I don't want to say they're resolved but "definitely improved" qualifies.

 

Believe it or not, the holidays were "no big fizz". We didn't know what was going on until the very last minute due to weather issues and my husband's status of being on-call. No fuss, nothing.

 

Come to find out, a couple of weeks before, she had a good friend die. This was a friend she had for 20 years. They cut a vacation short and drove for 16 hours to "say goodbye". She got a few precious moments with her friend and her friend died the next day.

 

Consequently, the holidays were very low-key.

 

I gave her a call yesterday because I was passing by their small town on my way to get beef and I had a surplus of eggs. She never calls when she's in town and I never knew that she loved eggs, particularly fresh ones. I tell her I have 10 dozen and ask how many she needs. She says she needed 3 dozen and 1 for her sister. I even brought her some herbal creme for an infected scratch.

 

I stop by and drop them off and we have a little chat. For all her past meanness and downright crochety behavior that I've received in the past, it was a pleasant chat. We spoke of life, bills, and daily goings on - "women talk" I guess you'd call it. It was the first time I've had a conversation that I remember with her where she treated me like an equal.

 

For a moment, she let her guard down and I saw a lady who had lost a dear friend, who made a conscious choice to embrace life and people in it rather than alienate them. I saw an insecure person who had been married and divorced twice and clung to her current husband with all the love a wife can give. True, her meds do help her personality, but this was a moment that was lucid and full of clarity and genuine humanity.

 

While I don't think we will ever be "best friends", I think there has been some great strides toward "mending of fences" as my husband says. Oh, and regarding my husband - I told him that I saw his mom and his eyebrows shot up. "Oh, she drove into town?" "No, I said. I was passing by to get the meat and I called to see if she wanted eggs." If it were possible, his eyebrows shot up more and his jaw dropped open. "My mother? Really?" "Yep. Go figure. She was quite pleasant."

 

He kept looking away and then back at me shaking his head.

 

Looks like it is indeed nothing short of a miracle.

[BiscuitMaker]

C4C---That is wonderful

[Virginia]

C4C, how wonderful. May it continue.

[Becca_Anne]

What a blessing! I''m glad you were able to have that moment with her. I hope it's the beginning of an easier relationship for you both!

[Christy]

That is just wonderful. whatever the future may bring, at least you could see a glimpse of the real her.

It may help to build further on that.

Credit to you for being so kind and patient. You did make a first move!