Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn You
It’s spring! The Winter-That-Wouldn’t-Quit is finally fading into friendlier weather! Birds are twittering, leaf buds are bursting out like popcorn, and fresh mellow breezes are breathing life into frozen bodies. Ahhh! Delightful!
This is the time when young men’s hearts turn to love, they say. It’s the time when a suitor comes to meet his sweetheart’s family, all thumbs and bungling butterfingers.
We are welcoming a new ‘in-law’ into our tribe very soon. Our granddaughter’s wedding is just days away! Their happiness radiates out like ripples on a lake. I always pray that the joy of young love never fades. And that the young men (and women) who join our family are made of tough stuff and don’t run for the hills when they meet our brand of family quirkiness.
I invited one potential son-in-law for dinner. He was quiet and shy, qualities which were robustly challenged by three hooligans, his possible future brothers-in-law. Those little boys were delighted to have a visitor in the home. The recipient of their sister’s starry googly eyes needed to be tested. Is he acceptable to join our family? Can he withstand their rigorous proving? They pestered him non-stop all evening, climbing into his lap, poking him, and providing an annoying barrage of ‘knock-knock’ jokes.
He passed with flying colors. I, however, didn’t make a good impression. I was hot and bothered by these scamps whom I expected to behave like polite young gentlemen, quietly reading books in the other room while we visited.
Okay…I am delusional. Nevertheless, the Potential looked calm and cool in spite of his grueling initiation, and I, the possible mother-in-law, was tied up in a frazzled knot. Love is illogical; he still married my daughter. And he still smiles at me without any apparent trepidation.
Another young man was coming to visit and hoping to surprise our daughter, his love interest. He arranged with Hubby to pick him up from the airport on a certain day. The day before his expected arrival, Hubby got a call from this young man. Thinking he was calling to remind him about the arranged pick-up time, Hubby reassured him, “Hi there!! We are looking forward to having you and will be picking you up tomorrow right on time!” There was an uncomfortable pause. “Uh, actually…” began the young man, “Umm…I’m at the airport right now.”
Oh! My! Hubby had gotten the date wrong! After many earnest apologies, Hubby rushed to the airport, 1 ½ hours away. They played a merry game of ‘tag’ looking for each other through Door One and Door Two before they finally connected. He is a keeper! Able to overlook our bumbles, he eventually joined our family.
Can you imagine these awkward moments with possible future in-laws? I think the soon-to-be grandson-in-law has had his moments of squirmy discomfort in this new future family too. Maybe our weird sense of humor leaves him blinking awkwardly. Perhaps he can’t figure out the family’s goofy inability to make a firm decision.
But maybe he’s learning that he can love people even more for their faults. It makes them human and relatable. Maybe he feels warm camaraderie with those who are less than perfect. He can chortle at the idiosyncrasies, because, then there’s no pressure to measure up. He can simply feel at home.
Home is where you can feel free to hang out, kick off your shoes, relax, and stay awhile. Home Is where you are warmly welcomed in and feel like you belong and understand all the jokes! Home is where you are part of a family. Home is where hearts are filled.
We have plenty of possibilities for potential in-laws to join our clan through our grandchildren. I’d like to encourage them to gather in close to the love and laughter of our particular brand of family. Kick off your shoes and make yourself right at home! But don’t say I didn’t warn you!
