Sisters/In-Law

I'm lucky enough to have loved my mother-in-law and have sisters-in-law who I love like sisters.  Not everyone can make that statement with as much certainty as I do...some have the in-laws from hell but, thankfully, I have friends who happen to be in-laws, too.

Faye, Gary, and I went up north (actually 4-5 hours north-east) on Monday to stay a few days with Joyce and Larry.  They live on a lake amidst some of the most beautiful scenery you'll find anywhere.  It's a place of dreams for many city dwellers like me and they get to experience it every day of the year.  Of course, it takes a lot of work to keep it as pristine as it is but I know they don't begrudge the sometimes hard labor that allows them to live there.  Gary spent most of our time up there helping Larry split logs and it was a job that not only let Larry finish quicker than on his own but also promoted a little bit more male bonding between in-laws.  They, too, are good friends.

Mealtimes at Joyce and Larry's are what they are supposed to be...great food and interesting conversations that often last longer than the actual meal.  I love that.  It's a blessing when in-laws can enjoy sitting and gabbing for hours and never say an unfriendly word to each other.  The two days we were there were filled with laughter and tranquillity.  It's what I always expect when I go there and have never been disappointed.

I love Larry and Gary, too, but it's Faye and Joyce that I feel the closest to, more like sisters but also good friends.  They are the two people who first welcomed me into the family back in 1955 so we've experienced most stages of life together and now we've grown old together.  But when we're sitting around the table laughing and reminiscing and discussing what we're learning these days, the years fall away.  I love them dearly and always will.  After all, how lucky I was to marry into a family and gain a new husband and sisters, too.