Monday 7 October 2013

JUST ANOTHER MONDAY

Its late tonight for me to be writing but its been quite hectic today, well when isn't it when you are a parent?

I had the usual food shopping to do this morning and ended up having a coffee with my son in law's mum.  I feel very lucky that my daughter married such a lovely person and such a hardworking man too.  Its very difficult when your child picks a partner, especially if you aren't too keen on them however I took to my son in law straight away.  I think, personally, he was very brave to marry into our family, we are a mad bunch and take some getting used too, plus the fact that he is allergic to everything on four legs and we have a house full of animals and his future wife worked with horses! 

Of course, if you are lucky enough to get another wonderful member of your family in this way are you going to be lucky with their family?  The first time we all met up was very nerve wracking but I needn't have worried, they are really lovely. 

The day of my daughter and son in law's wedding felt a little odd, her own father not having had anything to do with her life and her stepfather having passed away she asked me to give her away.  After the wedding when we all went up into the vestry and then all walked down the aisle behind the bride and groom, my son in law's father stood in the middle between me and his wife and held hands with both of us as we walked out of the church.  That was something really special to me, a real sign to everyone that not only were our children joined together but as a family so were all of us.  Our two families often meet up at family functions, grandchildren's birthdays, birth days etc.  When our grandchildren were born, I recall hugging and crying along with my son in law's mum at our sheer joy of having a new grandchild.  And so it persists, Saturday was my little granddaughter's 3rd birthday and we all went along, in fact my son in law's youngest brother is in the same year at school as my 14 year old daughter, it was great to sit in the garden and chat, laugh and know we really do care about each other. 

I think it is good for our children too because how often does it happen that the in laws don't like each other and that can cause such tension within a marriage or relationship.  I feel it is very important for families to make a real effort to get along with each other unless of course there are good reasons for not doing so as in the case of criminal behaviour or violence but generally there is little excuse for not doing so.  It makes such a difference to the lives of our children and grandchildren and shows a good example of behaviour for our grandchildren too, how unpleasant it must be for those children whose grandparents never meet up.  I experienced this with my own parents and my in laws from my first marriage and felt quite cross with my own parents who never wanted to have anything much at all to do with my in laws and made any family occasions very tense. 

This afternoon I had to go and collect my 14 year old from school as she wasn't feeling too well.  I think the winter colds are doing the rounds and she has gone to bed early looking not herself at all.  We shall see how she is in the morning.  My youngest has also been complaining of a sore throat which I have to say really didn't look at all sore this morning, not swollen enough to make her as croaky as she was making out.  Someone does like to have a day off if she can. 
 

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