I’m Anna, and at 23, I married my childhood sweetheart. I still remember my mother-in-law being so sweet to me when I was little. But once we were officially engaged and I shifted from being a “guest” to “family,” her attitude did a total 180. I’ve had to endure so much rudeness and overstepping, but my husband just keeps catering to her every whim, claiming it’s because she’s sick. I finally hit my breaking point and gave him an ultimatum: “Choose—it’s either your mother, or me and our daughter. Decide right now.” And this is what he did…
I get it—my mother-in-law wants to live without regrets now that she’s sick, and my husband and father-in-law want to grant her wishes even when they know she’s being unreasonable. I can empathize with that to a degree. But we have a daughter now. If we keep giving in to her every demand, I can’t protect our child.
We have our own life to live. It’s just impossible for us to keep sacrificing everything to appease someone else’s unreasonable expectations. I just hope that someday she realizes she’s been in the wrong, and that she can eventually become the kind, gentle person I remember from when I was little.