**Diary Entry**
My husband’s family is truly wonderful. Though his parents have a daughter of their own, they’ve always treated me like one of their own as well.
My mother-in-law is an incredibly wise woman. We’ve never had a single argument—not even over the smallest things. She has a way of making remarks so carefully and tactfully that I’ve always taken them in stride.
My sister-in-law married years ago, but we were the ones who gave my in-laws their first grandchildren. Their daughter wanted to live for herself for a while—children weren’t part of her plans yet.
My husband’s parents adore our kids. They spoil them with gifts now and then, doing everything they can to keep them happy.
His mother often says to me, *”When will Sophie finally give us grandchildren? She’s already thirty—it’s about time she started thinking about it!”*
Then, the long-awaited joy arrived—Sophie got pregnant. Everyone was over the moon. Even my little daughter couldn’t wait to meet her cousin.
But then something happened that really stung.
I took my son for a walk in Hyde Park, where I bumped into an acquaintance. We got chatting, and she asked if Sophie had given birth yet. I said it would be any day now.
Then she said, *”How do you feel about it? You know things will be different now, don’t you? Your in-laws are about to have a *real* grandchild—one that’s blood-related.”*
I stared at her in disbelief. *”What do you mean, *real* grandchild?”*
*”Think about it,”* she went on. *”You gave your mother-in-law grandchildren, but now her daughter’s having a baby. There’s a difference.”*
Her words felt so cruel. Since when are a daughter’s children more “real” than a son’s? What nonsense is that?
Deep down, I know nothing will change between me and my in-laws after Sophie’s baby arrives. But that conversation left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Do some grandparents really divide their love based on which of their children became parents? It’s a sad thought.
*Lesson learned: Blood doesn’t define family—love does. And anything else is just small-mindedness.*
