We just celebrated my mother-in-laws birthday and so I thought I'd take this opportunity to honor her and to praise God for her again. She possesses certain qualities that I pray I will remember to emulate when the time comes for me to be a mother-in-law.
1. She knows when to give her opinion and when to remain silent. I suppose I respect this most about her.
2. She's an excellent guest in my home because she doesn't feel like a guest. She's comfortable doing nothing or joining in with whatever is going on.
3. She's an excellent Grandmother. Sometimes she just holds my children's hands or strokes their heads as they rest themselves upon her lap. Or, she lets them come and spend the night and enjoy her "candy" cupboard.
4. She seems to know just the right amount to do that will help me when she is over, but not too much to make me feel I'm not doing a good enough job myself. On this note, she is an amazingly hard worker -- I lovingly call her "an ox." With four boys I guess she really knows what it means to work!
5. She always has an encouraging word and is supportive of my endeavors.
6. She waits for you to tell her your news, rather than prying into personal matters. Yet, you know she is always willing to listen and support if you want to share.
7. She is an excellent roll model in terms of her loyalty to her husband. She and my dear father-in-law were married 49 years and she loved and served him all his days. This loyalty to him, I see in my husband and rejoice he has such parents as examples.
8. Finally, she's a lady. She's feminine but she can be playful, she's fun and doesn't take herself too seriously, she's beautiful, but not vain. I love seeing a woman with four boys be so feminine. They all love her dearly and she has earned their respect for years of selfless devotion to them and to their father.
I am grateful for her and thought I'd make note of these lovely qualities in her as she marks time and all those that love her celebrate her.
