I found my mother (in law)

My mother in law (mil) has played a big role in making me the person I am now. If I am capable and know certain things well, its because she pushed me to do it. She is a headstrong and capable woman. Sometimes I really admire her for her guts. She is nothing like my mother, who is a soft hearted and sweet little thing. It is because of mil, that I have so many good habits and discipline. She taught me things my mom couldn't.
I owe my mil for teaching me cooking, managing household, cleaning .. the works. When I married, I didn't know how to run a house, not to mention I was zero in cooking. She taught me all that and more..
I was apparently a good student for I learnt well and she says so herself..

Its not that our relation was without strife. In the beginning there was so much conflict, I resented her presence in my life, I used to think she poisoned my husband against me.
My mummy used to tell me that its a good sign that my husband is so obedient to his mother, for a person who is an obedient son, is also a faithful husband and a doting father. Now, I know that she was so right. I have become a seasoned daughter in law, and being wiser now, I can understand, what she means and wants from me.

Right now she is out of station and I miss her presence in the house and await her arrival anxiously. Her absence has accentuated the importance of her presence! The house seems empty without her, (and her authoritative loud voice). After so many years, I am more close to her than my husband. Strangely enough, I think that she has always been the focal point of my married life and without her I would have surely messed my marriage. The bigger conflicts with her always helped to push my other small fights, with my husband to the back burner.

Still, I think I have a long way to go and become a woman of her caliber. She has lived a tough life, tougher than mine, and she deserves a better life now. Its a tough job that she does, managing to keep everybody together, making sure everyone eats what they want to eat, making sure every corner of the house is clean and tidy, and of course the real hard task of keeping the servants under check.

Once she said to me, that she thought me fit to bequeath the family legacy to me...(we are three daughters in law so I  was secretly thrilled). I might still have some differences with her, but I would rather ignore it and focus on the good ones! Thats making life good.

Just like I feel pity for those cousins who have never lived in joint families, I pity people especially daughter in laws who dont get a chance to live with her parents in law!
Living with in laws is like a treasure hunt game.. Over the years, I gained the treasure of knowledge, that no amount of books could give me.

Picture from here