This is a time to enjoy and embrace friends/family. I also would like to remember a lady that is no longer with us.
My Mother-in-law was not real thrilled with me dating/marrying her little girl. LOL My wife was her oldest and they where real close. More like sisters then mother/daughter. With us living a long distance away my wife made do with traveling to see her Mother for a few weeks a couple of times each year. As the years
went by her Mother warmed to me so to speak. I would guess we both learned to respect each other over time.
My MIL was born in a coal miner's family in West Virginia. She was the oldest of eight children. Her father developed Black lung and quit mining and moved to Ohio. He worked there as a wild life manager for the state park system. He knew wild life from living in the mountains of West Virginia. He would not have had that job today because the government bean counters would say he was too uneducated to know anything. I would not say my MIL family was poor but with eight kids money was not thrown around. She met and married her husband in the 1960s. They saved and bought a small farm in South-East Ohio. They got by with out many worldly possessions but a close family. Most would call they "hillbillies". I would say they where/are a close family that closed ranks when troubles happen. My MIL ran the family. There was not doubt who called all the shots. LOL So we butted heads at times. She was not used to anyone not doing what SHE wanted. I am not good at doing what others tell is best either. So there where fire works in the early years.
I came to see that she was the CEO of the family. It worked for them. They where all the better for it too. I came to respect her will, spirit, and gumption.
As time went by my FIL passed away and the children moved to find better jobs. My MIL sold the farm about ten years ago and moved to live close to her other daughter. She watched her grand kids grow and great grand kids too. Her health slowly got worse. Years of smoking and back breaking work wrecked havoc with her. She finally has relief from her pain. She passed away this morning in her sleep. Unexpected but not a surprise. My wife is taking it HARD. They talked about everyday. She was only a year older than me,66. Too early in ways.
So I salute a strong woman that raised a pretty darn good family!!!
My Mother-in-law was not real thrilled with me dating/marrying her little girl. LOL My wife was her oldest and they where real close. More like sisters then mother/daughter. With us living a long distance away my wife made do with traveling to see her Mother for a few weeks a couple of times each year. As the years
went by her Mother warmed to me so to speak. I would guess we both learned to respect each other over time.
My MIL was born in a coal miner's family in West Virginia. She was the oldest of eight children. Her father developed Black lung and quit mining and moved to Ohio. He worked there as a wild life manager for the state park system. He knew wild life from living in the mountains of West Virginia. He would not have had that job today because the government bean counters would say he was too uneducated to know anything. I would not say my MIL family was poor but with eight kids money was not thrown around. She met and married her husband in the 1960s. They saved and bought a small farm in South-East Ohio. They got by with out many worldly possessions but a close family. Most would call they "hillbillies". I would say they where/are a close family that closed ranks when troubles happen. My MIL ran the family. There was not doubt who called all the shots. LOL So we butted heads at times. She was not used to anyone not doing what SHE wanted. I am not good at doing what others tell is best either. So there where fire works in the early years.
I came to see that she was the CEO of the family. It worked for them. They where all the better for it too. I came to respect her will, spirit, and gumption.
As time went by my FIL passed away and the children moved to find better jobs. My MIL sold the farm about ten years ago and moved to live close to her other daughter. She watched her grand kids grow and great grand kids too. Her health slowly got worse. Years of smoking and back breaking work wrecked havoc with her. She finally has relief from her pain. She passed away this morning in her sleep. Unexpected but not a surprise. My wife is taking it HARD. They talked about everyday. She was only a year older than me,66. Too early in ways.
So I salute a strong woman that raised a pretty darn good family!!!
