Mother-in-Law: The Reality, The Myth, The Legend

If you don’t know mother-in-law jokes… it’s just because you don’t have one. And let me tell you — there are more mother-in-law jokes than recipes for tomato soup. And that’s saying something.

We all know the some classics:

* What’s the best lipstick for a mother-in-law? Super glue.(Disclaimer: Please do not try this at home. Lawsuits are expensive.)

My personal favorite: When your mother-in-law gives you advice on how to raise your kids, remind her gently: "Oi, I live with your child… and believe me, your advice didn’t really work out as planned."

And of course, those helpful warning signs at the gate: “Beware of dog. And my mother-in-law is running free too.”

You could spend an entire day swapping these jokes with your friends while sipping wine and trying not to spit it out from laughing too hard. But as much as we like to laugh, let’s be fair. Every mother-in-law comes with her own unique package — somewhere between unconditional love and emotional landmines. She had to give you her own child and she couldn't say anything about it.

Decades of Wisdom… and Trauma

Let’s not forget: Our mothers-in-law were born a few decades earlier, raised in multi-generational homes where “helping each other” often meant “getting in each other’s way.” They grew up with grandparents passing down trauma like family heirlooms, followed by parents layering on their own set of emotional luggage. These were people who had lived through a world war or two. They were not always rich houses with huge estates, and the times in which they lived were not the best.

Now, fast forward to the modern world, where everything is wireless, voice-controlled devices, and powered by strange things called “apps” — and you can understand why this generation might feel like the world’s spinning a bit too fast.

Add to this the fact that every ad today tells them their favorite cooking oil may or may not kill them, and that a simple flower pot can connect to Wi-Fi.

In My Case: The Exception to the Rule

Now, let me shock you.

Because while many people’s mothers-in-law are worthy of stand-up comedy routines or they don't even want to speak about them, mine is an absolute GEM. Yes, ladies, be jealous. I got the golden ticket. Win, win.

I’m not even as close to my own mother as I am to my mother-in-law. Maria, she is my Google, my botanical encyclopedia, my herbal medicine cabinet, my sewing kit, and my therapy hotline all rolled into one.

When her son — my adorable, sometimes infuriating husband — gets on my nerves (which is not often, let’s be honest). I go straight to her. Quick call on WhatsApp. After all, she created him. She knows what kind of defective software we’re dealing with.

And her response? Every single time: “I didn’t raise you like that, son.”

Music. To. My. Ears.

Our Queen of the Garden

Maria’s passion is flowers. My flowers? They bloom once, look cute for Instagram, and then quickly relocate to flower heaven, on other side of the bridge. But Maria? Oh no. She has conversations with her plants. She pets them, whispers sweet nothings, and somehow, they thrive. It’s either magic or she’s running a secret underground floral mafia.

When I visit her garden, it’s like a botanical spa day. Flowers here, flowers there, all colors and scents. She hands me bulbs, seeds, and mysterious cuttings like some plant goddess. I take them home, plant them with great hopes, and by the next season, well… let’s just say I get to visit them at the great greenhouse in the sky. Forever in my memory.

The Hoarding Olympics

Now, just so it's not like she's so perfect. Maria does have one little flaw: Hoarding. And not your casual “I’ll keep this just in case” type. No, no, no. We’re talking full-blown "Why do you still have this broken shower head from 2004?" kind of hoarding. Angel figurines, ceramic elephants, artificial flowers (I counted over 20 bouquets) — I call them "Dusty Busties" because their only real function is collecting a thick layer of dust.

Recently, though, a miracle happened. She finally cleaned one of her many storerooms. I'm pretty sure some of those shoes were older than me. She actually felt relieved afterwards — although I suspect she secretly snuck a few things inside other storeroom when no one was looking. She wouldn't be herself if she didn't do that.

The Surprise of a Lifetime

One of my favorite memories of all the time? We once surprised her with a “train trip to the seaside.” We told her to packed her bag, walked to the train station — and then, plot twist! We got off at the airport and handed her a plane ticket to Rome.

Her reaction? Shaking legs. Speechless. Tears in her eyes. And the most innocent question: “So… we’re not going to the seaside? You fooled me, you are crazy.”

Pure gold. We have filmed it and always makes us laugh when we watch it.

Forbidden Books & Preserved Jars

There is one rule in her house now for me: “Don’t buy me books.” Because if she sits in her chair, will open the book and once she starts reading, she forgets to cook, water the garden, or even blink. She gets so absorbed that you could march an entire rock band through the living room and she wouldn’t notice.

Even though her kids have spread across different countries, different cities, whenever we visit, she welcomes us with open arms, our favorite meals, homemade cakes, and jars of jam and preserves that she lovingly prepares every summer. She doesn’t have much, but she gives with her whole heart. Every goodbye is with tears in the eyes.

The Mother I Gained

Sometimes, I look at my hubby and think:

“Thanks to you, I gained a lovely mother I never expected.”

And I cherish every moment with her.

Because while mother-in-law jokes are funny, when you’re lucky enough to have a Maria, you know life has blessed you more than you deserve. I hope she knows how important she is to us.

Tell me: What’s your funniest mother-in-law moment?

Share your stories below — I promise we’ll laugh together (and maybe hide this post from our own mothers-in-law… just in case 😉)

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