A mother-in-law who really DOES love and care about her daughter-in-law, something that’s extremely RARE in the world here, translated…
That morning, I slung my knapsack around my back, got ready to head off south, to accompany my husband who works away from home, I’d bumped into the neighbor whose husband is a business owner who is my age. Her kids are all very outstanding, her daughter and son-in-law are both school teachers, and her son and daughter-in-law work in a semi-conductor company, last year, they’d had a baby, and my neighbor gladly agreed to take care of this firstborn grandson, so the younger generation can work away from home without any worries.
The lady is a low-key, hardworking, Hakka woman, she’d not dined out at all, and planted the organic fruits and vegetables on the rooftop of her own home, and I’d gotten the planted varieties of leafy greens, squashes, fruits from her every single time she’d harvested. And, she’d followed the teachings of a master, “Feeling grateful, satisfied with one’s own life, have a positive outlook on life”, it’d made me in awe.
I’d heard that she, who’d watched every dollar she’d spent had, bought several bags of produce, and meats, so very unlike what she’d shopped around for normally, I’d inquired, “Ma’am, are you, preparing to host a dinner party with the full-course meal?” she’d told me gleefully, “My daughter-in-law arrived home last night! I’d wanted to make some delicious foods, so they can get the nutrition they’d needed, normally, they’d focused too hard on working, they’d not slept well at all, plus, my daughter-in-law is breastfeeding, and needed to store the week’s portions in advance, it’s really hard on her.” Then, she’d started talking about her deceased mother-in-law, who’d loved her like she was her own daughter too, she’d told me, that she wanted to pass along the good behaviors to the next generations, and, her daughter-in-law carried the heart of gratitude toward her giving to her. Then, she’d carried her groceries back up the stairs, and said that she was going to make some homemade organic soy milk for her daughter-in-law who’s still sleeping! Back then, I was, truly, moved.
The business owner’s wife understood how hard her daughter-in-law was working for their lives, and had, given them a helping hand, as an assistance, to support and care for her daughter-in-law. She’d often shared with me, “think positive, there’s nothing worth calculating in life for, just do it.” And told me, that she’s getting older, and is no longer as able-bodied as she once was, that taking care of her grandson had been trying for her, but, she’d thought about how her son and daughter-in-law’s returns to Taipei to stay, the wonderful family time they’d have, every single hardship and the stresses she’d endured, are all gone away.
After I’d gone south, I’d shared with my husband, the business owner’s wife’s philosophies on life, he’d hoped, that I will too, become this, “fitting mother-in-law” later on in life, I’d nodded at him, said, “Yes I will!”
And so, this mother-in-law is thinking on behalf of not just his own son, but also his daughter-in-law, which is extraordinarily rare, because ALL mothers only look after their own young, as for the daughters-in-law, that’s not our own, so, why do we give a shit??? But, this woman’s attitude, her kindness toward members of ALL her family had made her daughter-in-law kind to her too, and this, is a cycle of kindness, that will, continue, because this daughter-in-law is treated with the kindness from her mother-in-law, therefore, she is, more than likely to treat her own children’s spouses with the same kind of kindness, because she’d modeled after her own mother-in-law.
Life, the Obstacle Course 