A BEST FRIEND FOR LIFE…

I made a best friend for life…

It’s the scariest thought. Will I be accepted? Will I be loved and treated right? What will it take to impress her? Will I be heard? Will I be comfortable?…. It’s what most daughters-in-law to be have felt and thought about at least once in their journey towards becoming the Mrs… But believe me when I say, for me, the thought disappeared as soon as it came.

When your MIL is a woman of substance, knows her general knowledge, is street smart, is well-read, calls a spade a spade, has a witty and charming sense of humor, and can have a conversation about anything under the sun, including tans, pedicures, politics, shoes and bags… you know you’ve made a friend for life.

When she calls you and says, “Please ensure your blouses have deep backs!”, you are pleasantly surprised (or disappointed in my case), but you know you’ve made a friend for life.

When you call each other and talk about life and experiences, and she’s always encouraging you to reach for the sky and beyond, you know you’ve made a friend for life.

When she listens and talks you through issues, and then ends with a very funny “Pah” or “Vita kalla” (meaning ‘let it go’ in Malayalam), you know you’ve made the perfect 4 AM friend for life.

I made that friend for life in this special woman.

And I’ve begun to realize; this one relationship need not be as scary as it seems.

When you start with honesty, work every day towards maintaining mutual respect and love, when you listen, when you find common ground, when you focus on finding the good in people, when you’ve made a happy version of peace with life, when you are truly grateful and believe in no drama… there’s so much to love!

I know now why my husband is such a gentleman. I know why he respects women. I know why he finds strength an admirable quality. I know why he doesn’t get impressed very easily. I know why he has such impeccable table manners and is so well spoken. I know why he makes an effort to make me feel the way I do everyday. It’s because he has a mumma like you!

So like, just as she would say… the perfect response to any assumption you might have of mothers in law otherwise: “Ah, Vita kalla!” 😉

The author, Farah Merchant Joseph is a Vice President and Senior Facilitator in a niche learning and development firm called Outperform Learning. She is a food enthusiast and loves to cook, practice yoga. She also enjoys travelling. She has an Instagram handle called #FindingFa where she explores home cooking and is passionate about encouraging women to go back to the kitchen and focus on healthy and tasty options every day.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Wonder Women World.