The Official Writing Challenge
BACK TO
CHALLENGE
MAIN
INSTRUCTIONS
how it works
submission rules
guidelines for
choosing a level
ENTRIES
submit your entry
read current entries
read past entries
challenge winners
Our Daily Devotional HERE
Place it on your site or
receive it daily by email.


TRUST JESUS TODAY

  • Share
  • how it works
  • Submit
Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: In-Law(s) (05/08/08)
Ruth had the quintessential mother-in-law. Most of my friends maintain a cordial “keep the appearance up ” relationship. A few have somewhat of “I love you but please don’t move in next door “ kind. As for me, my mother-in-law would have nothing to do with me.

My crime? I married her son.

When my husband, then long-distance boyfriend told his mother about his plan to marry a girl from Singapore, her eyes fired up a fury (this I imagined, having never met her). She was feisty, I was told.

“What, I’ve waited so long to hear this? Can’t you find one of our kind? What wrong with all the nice Jewish girls?” she pounded out her tirade of displeasure. Rose, I’m told had a distrust of anyone outside her race. And who can blame her? As a Jewish kid, she was stoned, mercilessly embarrassed by school friends, forbidden to date outside her race and barred from many social functions.

That was setback number one. I have a different skin color--I have eyes that are slits with high cheekbones. Speak funny and eat rice and choy suey. The stereotype.

Then my husband, Steve, told his father, who nodded with approval at the picture shown to him. As Steve wheeled his father around the hospice, they talked about the coming marriage and his father gave his blessing. Both knew the end was near and talked about the possibility of Steve not being able to attend the funeral, should he be in Asia at that time.

On a lay-over in Hong Kong, on his way to Singapore, Steve had the dreaded call.

“Dad passed on an hour ago. I need you to come home for the funeral,” his mother was insistent on the phone.

“Mom, there’s no way. The wedding date is set and even if I turn around, I won’t make it in time for the funeral. Remember, we talked about this?”

The phone went silent.

The verdict was out--her son chose an Asian girl over a family matter. Setback number two was the wedge that threw her into the abyss of bitterness.

Steve tried to call his mother after the wedding but each time, the phone went strangely quiet.

I had a lot of damage control to do. I did the only thing I knew how. I wrote. I introduced myself. I enclosed wedding pictures. I apologized.

No answer came.

We made plans to mend the drift. Steve left a message to say that we would be flying to Florida to visit her.

We didn’t hear from her but thought we could sprang her a surprise. Maybe, she would change her mind if she had the chance to meet a person, not a caricature. We drove to the condominium that Steve bought for her and was told by the guard that she gave strict instructions not to let us in. Steve was locked out of his own condo!

We had our first child. I sent announcement card. I enclosed pictures of her first grandson. I apologized.

No answer came.

We finally heard from her when half of California was engulfed with forest fire. Steve was elated and asked if she would like to talk to me.

She hang up.

The drift was slightly mended, but my side remained a gaping hole.

When she was diagnosed with lung cancer and she knew her end was imminent, Steve arranged for a visit.

“You come alone, “ she told her son.

“Mom, if I come, I’m coming with my family.”

She really didn’t want to see me, so she chose to go the day before we were supposed to arrive. She had told her second son her menu for that evening--a nice lamb chop and steamed vegetables. She died that night in her sleep. No foul play but sheer will-power.

As I stood before her casket, I wondered what it would be like to know her. Maybe, I could take her to some good Chinese restaurants (she liked Chinese food). Maybe, she could show me her vast collection of costume jewelry. We could laughed over coffee and matzah covered with jelly.

After the funeral, we went back to her condo. Right in front of her bed, smack on the wall was a picture of Aaron, her first grandson. The one I sent. He was beaming, holding one foot with his plump fingers, teasing.

Maybe, her thorns were just a front. A rose after all.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be right now. CLICK HERE

JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
This article has been read 725 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Joshua Janoski
05/16/08
Wow. You showed what bitterness can do to a person. It is so sad that you never got to know your mother-in-law. However, I love your kind heart and your willingness to try and mend a relationship that never really seemed to get established in the first place. I also appreciate you showing a good side to your mother-in-law, even though many would only take time to look at the bad.

Thank you for sharing this. it was a blessing to read.
Esther Gellert
05/17/08
Ohhh, what a sad story, but I loved the ending. What a shame there was no reconciliation for the Mother-in-law before it was too late. How sad that she never got to hold her grandchild in person. It's so sad what pride can do to us.
Thankyou for sharing this. It was well written and I enjoyed it.
Mariane Holbrook
05/19/08
Oh my, what a sad, sad story and how easily the end could have been different if the mother-in-law had been kind enough to bend just a little. What a sad, amazing story. Kudos for having the courage to write it.
James Dixon
05/20/08
You chose the incidents to illustrate the adverse relationship very well. Well written and thoughtful.
Ron Hale
05/21/08
"My crime, I married her son." Great line and so true for many daughter-in-laws thoughout history. I married a young lady from a differnt race. I had to set my Mother straight from the start -- that my wife comes first and foremost in human relationships.

Thanks, I enjoyed your writing!
Marilyn Schnepp 
05/21/08
An interesting take on "In-Laws"...and I thought the ending very creative. Quite a few words were left out here and there, but otherwise well done. I enjoyed the rather sad, but enlightening read.