I (Kaori) live with my husband, Shinichi, and our 3-year-old daughter, Karin. My mother-in-law, father-in-law, and grandmother-in-law all live together in the family home. My grandmother-in-law tends to push her own values on everyone and is always meddling. Whenever my husband or I were in trouble, my mother-in-law was always the one to step in and act as our shield. On the other hand, she is constantly being belittled by the grandmother-in-law. According to my husband, my mother-in-law insists that everyone “just leave it alone,” so no one knows how to help her. I was left feeling nothing but constant frustration.
For the most part, my grandmother-in-law doesn’t really do anything to me or my husband directly. However, when it comes to family milestones like weddings or childbirth, she tries to force her way on everyone. But in those moments, my mother-in-law always stepped up as a shield, protecting us from her verbal attacks. I felt so bad for her that I couldn’t help but ask why she never talks back or stands up for herself. That’s when she told me, “It’s a sad life when you have no one left to give you advice…” In that split second, her expression seemed different than usual. I figured she probably had a lot on her mind in her own way… or so I thought.