I was working in the kitchen, because my husband would soon return from work. I wanted to cook a delicious dinner for him – his favorite soup. The kids were playing in their room when suddenly there was a knock at the door. They knew that dad was coming back at about that time, so they ran to open the door.
– “Oh, grandma and grandpa are here!” my youngest daughter shouted happily.
My mother-in-law brought so many presents from the village, and my father-in-law ran to his grandchildren to play. I went into the bathroom and started to cry bitterly. I envied that my husband has such parents.
I want to tell you a little bit about my childhood. I do not remember that my parents kissed me before going to bed, hugged me when they met or even said that they were proud of me. I tried to earn their attention in every possible way – I studied well at school, painted beautiful portraits for them, cleaned and cooked at home. But they just did not notice it. All my greeting cards were in the trash the next day.
If someone in the yard among my friends gave me a delicious cookie or sweet candy, I saved everything for my parents. In the summer, I collected bouquets of wild flowers for my mother. But everything was not so. My mother swore that I brought home only weeds, and sweets spoil my teeth. And if I got even the highest score at school, she scolded me a lot.
So I grew up an insecure person. In addition – low self-esteem and the desire to prove to everyone that I am worthy of something. I envied my friends when they talked about the beautiful gifts their grandmother brought them. Mine never praised me, so she rarely came to visit. I did not want to see her. The old lady was always reproaching me that I would not be anything good. All the time it seemed to me that I was like a stranger in my own family. Or maybe someone just confused me in the maternity hospital…
Now I have real happiness – a big and friendly family. A beloved husband who always supports me and almost every day fills me with compliments. The children try to study well at school to please me with grades in the diary. I hoped that over time my parents would change, because now they have small grandchildren. However, my mother often forgets even to congratulate them on their birthdays. And the youngest daughter does not know what grandparents look like.
But my in-laws are very good people. Every weekend they come to their grandchildren with tasty treats, play with them. My mother-in-law also helps me with the housework and says that I am a very good housewife. It is nice to hear such words. But I want my mother to say it. At first I tried to talk to her calmly about this situation. But my mother said that I was just inventing problems for myself.
Now I don’t even want to see them anymore. It doesn’t matter that they are my parents and we are one family. For me they are like strangers. They do not even want to communicate with their grandchildren, so I do not insist. The children have me, who gives my boundless love. They are my greatest happiness in the world.
Do you agree with the woman’s words? What would you advise her?
