By SHIDAH KAMARUDDIN
“BE kind to your mother-in-law, but pay for her board at some good hotel,” said humorist Josh Billings. This is just one of the many mothers-in-law jokes which I think is decent enough to appear in a family newspaper.
Contrary to the notorious comments about the mother of one’s partner, mine is an angel sent from above. And I’m not saying this just to score brownie points on becoming part of her family.
I had butterflies the size of the elephants in my tummy before meeting her for the first time. But they disappeared as soon as I set eyes on her.
Normally, at a meet-the-parents-for-the-first-time session, a girl has to be at her utmost best, even to the point of being fake. But I didn’t have to.
My mother-in-law has been warm and welcoming since the beginning of my relationship with my (now) husband. She’s always feeding me an endless amount of delectable dishes and treats me like one of her own.
Hence, all the dieting before my wedding was useless as I was always at her house. Good thing I could still fit into my wedding dress (with corset and sucking my tummy in).
When it was confirmed that my husband and I were expecting our first child, my mother-in-law got all excited and couldn’t sleep. She then spent the whole night cooking and baking. Although she already had three grandchildren then, she cherished the thought of having another young one to pamper.
Throughout my pregnancy, she gave me endless tips and health advice on becoming a first-time mother.
Then came the time when I had to go for an emergency caesarean delivery. I was only into my seventh month of pregnancy.
“BE kind to your mother-in-law, but pay for her board at some good hotel,” said humorist Josh Billings. This is just one of the many mothers-in-law jokes which I think is decent enough to appear in a family newspaper.
Contrary to the notorious comments about the mother of one’s partner, mine is an angel sent from above. And I’m not saying this just to score brownie points on becoming part of her family.
I had butterflies the size of the elephants in my tummy before meeting her for the first time. But they disappeared as soon as I set eyes on her.
Normally, at a meet-the-parents-for-the-first-time session, a girl has to be at her utmost best, even to the point of being fake. But I didn’t have to.
My mother-in-law has been warm and welcoming since the beginning of my relationship with my (now) husband. She’s always feeding me an endless amount of delectable dishes and treats me like one of her own.
Hence, all the dieting before my wedding was useless as I was always at her house. Good thing I could still fit into my wedding dress (with corset and sucking my tummy in).
When it was confirmed that my husband and I were expecting our first child, my mother-in-law got all excited and couldn’t sleep. She then spent the whole night cooking and baking. Although she already had three grandchildren then, she cherished the thought of having another young one to pamper.
Throughout my pregnancy, she gave me endless tips and health advice on becoming a first-time mother.
Then came the time when I had to go for an emergency caesarean delivery. I was only into my seventh month of pregnancy.
I panicked; so did my husband. Who did we call first? My mother-in-law.
She literally dropped whatever she was doing and came straight away from Seremban to Kuala Lumpur to be by my side.
When my son arrived, whose face did I long to see apart from my husband’s and baby’s? My mother-in-law’s.
As he was premature, my son had to be placed in an incubator. I stayed in the ward for almost a month to nurse and feed him.
Who stayed with me throughout my confinement? My mother-in-law.
Not only did she sleep on a sofa all that time, she fed and bathed me, took me to the toilet and gave me massages. It was like I was the baby.
Didn’t I say she is an angel? The nurses at the ward all wished that they, too, could have a mother-in-law like mine. I just couldn’t resist the chance to gloat and brag about my luck to them.
I have heard horror stories about mothers-in-law from friends and relatives, but mine is a fairy tale waiting to be told. Words just cannot express my gratitude towards her, and as I type this, the sight of her catching a much-deserved forty winks brings tears to my eyes.
What would I do without my mother-in-law? I can’t wait for my son to get to know his nenek, to be loved and nurtured by an admirable and patient woman who I am so proud to call “Ibu”.
She literally dropped whatever she was doing and came straight away from Seremban to Kuala Lumpur to be by my side.
When my son arrived, whose face did I long to see apart from my husband’s and baby’s? My mother-in-law’s.
As he was premature, my son had to be placed in an incubator. I stayed in the ward for almost a month to nurse and feed him.
Who stayed with me throughout my confinement? My mother-in-law.
Not only did she sleep on a sofa all that time, she fed and bathed me, took me to the toilet and gave me massages. It was like I was the baby.
Didn’t I say she is an angel? The nurses at the ward all wished that they, too, could have a mother-in-law like mine. I just couldn’t resist the chance to gloat and brag about my luck to them.
I have heard horror stories about mothers-in-law from friends and relatives, but mine is a fairy tale waiting to be told. Words just cannot express my gratitude towards her, and as I type this, the sight of her catching a much-deserved forty winks brings tears to my eyes.
What would I do without my mother-in-law? I can’t wait for my son to get to know his nenek, to be loved and nurtured by an admirable and patient woman who I am so proud to call “Ibu”.
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