I’ve heard it said that when you get married, you marry the whole family. For some people that is terrifying. For me it wasn’t.
You want your spouse’s family to like you and it can be so nerve-racking when you “meet the family”. Hubby kept telling me “they will love you” but of course I was scared to death.
Meet his brother first. My first impression of him is what I still think of him today… he’s hilarious. I’m always holding my stomach from laughing so hard. As I’ve gotten to know him over these 20 something years I’ve learned he loves his family fiercely! He is a protector and is just a plain old good guy.
Next came the meeting with mom and dad and little sis.
I instantly fell in love with little sis. Her smile is what I think of when her name is mentioned. Even though she was 15, at the time, I took her on little dates. We would go out once a week for dinner and sometimes see a movie or go shopping. I look back at this treasured time I had with her, especially now that she is countries away. She always talked of doing something adventurous. Today, She is living her own adventure. She is now a mom, and a wife, all the while living in a foreign country. She impresses me everyday…To move to a country where you know no one except your new hubby, where they don’t speak your language, and the culture is completely different. I miss our little adventures together but love that she is living hers.
Mom and Dad made me nervous. Mostly because I was trying to impress them. I was trying to show them how much I loved their son. Once I let go of trying to impress, and got to know them as people, I realized why I fell for their son. They love the Lord with everything they have. My father in law was the “scarier” of the two. He was “harder to crack.” He has a funny sense of humor and uses sarcasm sometimes. When I realized that he used his humor and sarcasm with his family as well as me, it finally hit me…”he thinks of me as family!” Mom is so easy to love. When I think of her I think of her hugs. She holds on like she’s never letting go and in that moment you are the most important person in the world.
As time marched on I became a sister in law to the most beautiful, stunning in fact, woman who saw what we all saw in “bro”. When I think of her, memories flood of our “coffee on the couch” talks. Being able to talk to another new mom and let our fears flow about having a new baby.
Then came “bro in law”. When I first met him, it was the weekend of their wedding. What a time to meet him! His accent is what first caught my attention and to this day I still love to hear him talk. His love of little sis was evident.
I became an aunt many times over and my girls now have cousins that they text and keep a close relationship even though we are many, many miles apart. I love my nieces and nephews and I’m so proud of them.
I’m not saying we are perfect. We are still family and we have had our rough patches, but forgiveness stretches miles and love heals the hurt.
My hubby is who he is because of these people. They helped make him the man he is and I first loved them because of who they are to him, but I love them now for who they are to me. Family is family. No matter how hard life can get, as long as you have faith in the Lord and faith in your family you can get through anything.
Cowles Farm 