You could argue that of course Mark should help my mother in any way, seeing as he IS her son-in-law. I don't think that's necessarily correct - it's not his job. Sure, my mother has been plenty generous to him over the years and she is friendly to him, glad to see him. But this is the same woman who asked me if I was sure I wanted to marry him, because after all, Gina "you are a pretty girl". In the background was my sister, bobbing her head in agreement. I guess I've always had a stubborn streak, because I ignored them and went on ahead with my wedding plans...and over the years my mother has softened a little, as she has come to know him. But that doesn't mean there weren't some rough spots.
She was hyper-critical of him when he refused to be the administrator of her will, opting out to protect our little family from my angry siblings in the future. And she roasted him over the coals pretty good when he broke (and immediately fixed) a picket in her fence by running into it with her riding lawn mower. Recently he accompanied me to my mother's house and did the jobs I couldn't do: rebuilding an asparagus bed and getting her computer up and running. Prior to that, he has done many other similar odd jobs involving either yard work or home repair or computer work or insurance assistance. His mother is long gone, and yet he continues to treat mine with respect and love. She doesn't love him like she loves me. But she should. He's the son she never had. A good husband and father for the last 33 years. A kind and generous man who loves me no matter what and will never let me nor our children down. Someone who will come to my mother's aid someday, if she requires it, and always encourages me in my moral responsibility to her. A loyalist on all fronts.
I hope someday she gets the chance to tell him how glad she is that he is in our lives.
