I Was Blessed To Have A Gem Of A Mother-In-Law
BY DONNE DAVIS – GaGaSisterhood.com
(Featured image: 4 generations includes Donne, her daughter and mother-in-law, Alice, on her 93rd birthday holding her great-granddaughter.)
I’ve written a lot about difficult MILs in my blog. But I was blessed to have a gem of a MIL. She thought I walked on water and always complimented me on what a wonderful wife, talented woman and attentive DIL I was. It was easy to love Alice — everyone did. She had a big circle of friends whom she swam with, played bridge with and socialized with. She taught me how to make delicious noodle kugel which my mom never made, and bread pudding another dish I’d never eaten when I was growing up.
Alice was a little shy and had a cute giggle when she got embarrassed. She was only 5 feet tall but made a statement with her bright colored scarves and animal prints.
She was one of the kindest and most empathic women I’ve known. She got me my first speaking gig in 1980. She belonged to a women’s organization and asked me if I’d like to speak to them about my interest in rituals and traditions. She was so proud of me after that speech and told me how much her friends enjoyed my talk. The women were mostly in their 80s and all shared stories and memories of rituals they remembered from their childhood.
After my FIL passed away, Alice learned to drive. She was in her late 60s and had never driven before. She felt so proud of herself that she could finally be independent and drove a green Oldsmobile Cutlass until she was 90 years old. She also had a gentleman suitor who lived in the same building where she lived. Kurt worshiped her and took care of her during her last year of life when she was diagnosed with leukemia.
Not only was Alice a wonderful MIL, she was a loving grandma and took my daughter on a cruise to Hawaii when she was sixteen. They had a fabulous time and swam together in the ship’s pool as well as in the ocean. Fortunately, Alice was able to meet her great-granddaughter before she passed away.
Last March 17, Sonny and I lit a candle to honor the day she passed away (she died on St. Patrick’s Day 2004.) We each shared some stories about all the things we loved about Alice. One precious memory I shared was of her incredibly delicious Mandelbrot, a German cookie she often made for us. She taught me how to make them which involved many steps and baking them twice. After she couldn’t bake any more, I made some and brought them to her. She tasted one said they were even better than hers!
I felt so lucky to have such a dear MIL and was glad I told her often how much I loved her.
Editor’s Note: I have a feeling that the feelings were mutual and Alice felt that she had a gem of a DIL.
To read another lovely MIL tribute click here
ABOUT THE AUTHOR – DONNE DAVIS
Donne is the founder and creative force behind the award-winning Blogsite – GaGaSisterhood.
Visit her site/blog here – The GaGa Sisterhood®
Where Grandmas Bond, Brag, and Benefit
We highly recommend her book, When Being a Grandma Isn’t So Grand
