Velveteen Rabbit

We were talking about being a mother-in-law tonight. When I first actually became one, it scared me to death because I wasn't sure what that role meant. More than anything i wanted my daughters-in-law to realize that I wasn't anything out of the ordinary: just a woman who raised a son and expected said son to love and respect his wife more than anyone else. I also wanted them to see me as a 'real' person who had doubts, fears, worries and who was still struggling to grow and be who God had called her to be. Failings still abounding. Definitely not a know-it-all. Or even a meddler. But full of mistakes. I have heard mother in law jokes, and seen some pretty awful mothers in laws of friends, and I absolutely did not want to placed in that category. I wanted it to be more like a sisterhood. A sharing of times that i've already experienced and can perhaps give insight to-though not perfectly. Above all, I wanted to be real. This being 'real' thing is sometimes hard to get right. It can be painful. And scary. After all, it can mean putting myself out there for the family to see warts, naked and all.Yikes. I tend to want to run and hide, or behave like 'miss perfect'. I've noticed misinterpretation can take place that way, too. I do have two wonderful daughters in law who have been so willing to share their lives and now their children with me, too. How blessed I am!