Another In-Law

Up until today I had met my mother-in-law, my father-in-law, and my three sister-in-laws.

Just so we get all of this straight my Husband is the only child of His mother. Then there is my father-in-law who has five children (including Master) over the course of three marriages.

Master had not been on speaking terms on His father's side of the family for about 15 years. It has only been in the past year that He got back in contact with His father. The reasons for the long "break" are multiple and complicated. And really there is no use in getting into them here.

Today however I got to meet my brother-in-law, his wife and their 2 year old daughter. We met them at a restaurant. It was at first a little awkward as Master and His brother looked at each other and "sized each other up". But shortly after that everything became relaxed. All of the past hurts and confusion quickly became water under the bridge. They were catching up and we were all having a great time. It was when Master saw their child that it really hit Him that He is an uncle. She is a cute kid. She soon became curious about Master and myself. It didn't take long before she became comfortable with both of us. She gave Master high-fives and she said "up" while standing next to me.

I picked her up and let her sit in my lap and play with my hands. This made my brother-in-law and his wife smile. She did this again while we were all eating because she had finished her food and didn't want to be in her high chair any longer. So I stopped eating and let her sit in my lap again. They told her to come sit by them again because I had been eating. I said that it was alright and let her stay. I know that parents don't really get a chance to eat at restaurants when their child is with them because the child is constantly demanding their attention. Also I wanted them to be able to talk freely with Master and catch up. So I was more than happy to entertain my niece-in-law.

The conversations flowed freely and was so comfortable that it was honestly hard to believe that they hadn't seen each other in so long. Every one had a good time and before we knew it they invited us to their house in the near future to a cook out. His brother's exact words were "We can grill out and have a couple of beers together."

We spent a little over two hours there. On the way home and since that point Master has been in a very good mood. It makes me happy to see how much this is effecting Him in a very positive way. I am glad that He has gotten back in contact with that side of His family. His mother is becoming more and more a pain in the ass and just someone who if she wasn't His mother we would not associate with on any level. Mean while His father's side of the family, the side that has had a lot of old grudges over the years, have been welcoming us both with open arms. The grudges forgotten almost immediately. They all just want Him to be a part of their lives again. And there for, by being His wife, myself. They come at it with the attitude that life is too short, they are family and the past is the past. Now and the future is what matters.

It is heart warming and such a drastic, and welcome, change from His mother.