I Lost My First Mother-in-law in The Divorce

I was heartbroken to realize I couldn’t keep her

Ruby Lee
Human Parts

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Photo by Redd F on Unsplash

Imagine having a mother-in-law that you love! That’s what I had during my first marriage. My first mother-in-law was a wonderful lady with a truly gentle, loving spirit. I think that was why I was so blindsided when my second mother-in-law turned out to be a mean-spirited witch. However, during the short, but very special time, I knew my first mother-in-law, I never once heard her say anything critical of anyone. She never gossiped, and she was always kind.

Growing up, I often listened to my mother and her friends talk about everyone on our street, but my mother-in-law never talked about anyone. This made a huge impression on me. I thought talking about people was normal. I didn’t know people like her existed. I thought everyone was mean sometimes and gossiped. She was kind and chose her words carefully.

My mother-in-law immediately accepted me into the family, even though her other daughter-in-law hated me. Although my arrival created family strife, she never seemed to blame me. Her motherly ways soothed my soul because it had only been a year since my mother died. I was lost without a mother, and I hoped my mother-in-law would feel that spot in my heart.

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Ruby Lee
Human Parts

Mother, Wife, Teacher, Librarian, Teller of Stories. Author of The Marriage Wars by Leeanne Beasley Berry. Top Writer in Parenting, This Happened to Me, Humor