The Mother in Law

Ruth 1: 16

But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 

I can't get this passage out of my mind today.  It is my Mother in Law's birthday today.  And to me she is just about the sweetest person to walk the planet.  I know that for everyone this isn't always so.  Sometimes mother in laws can be difficult, you can feel threatened by them or irritated, they can step on your toes or be too pushy, they can make you feel very small.  But Judy McInerney is not one of them.


When we first started to have children I was very insecure.  I didn't know anything about raising kids except from the information in books that I read, I was worried all the time I was doing things wrong, I felt like everyone was telling me what to do, and I just was an insecure hot mess.  I took out a lot of my anger and frustration and insecurity (and sleep deprivation) on the people I loved the most, and sadly one of those people was my Mother in law.  She was always good to me and I was hard to be around those first few years as a new mom.  Thankfully, we resolved things, got closer and moved on.  I think that the verse in Ruth reminds me that God wants us to be close to our family members, especially our in laws!  Those relationships can be so special if we develop them and really put forth the effort.  

My Mom is so good to us.  She loves her son John, she loves her daughter Laurie and she is very generous with her time and love and she is very fair.  She goes out of her way to make us all feel special.  And what speaks to me the most is that whenever I truly need her she is right there on my door step with a bottle of water in her hand and ready to help in any way that she can.

My Mom is not the type of woman that doesn't like to get dirty.  Don't get me wrong she is very lady like and loves to dress up but she also comes over with her jeans on and gets right on the floor with the kids and builds with them, she takes them for walks around the neighborhood or just plays in the backyard (even when it's really hot!)  She doesn't make you feel bad when she does stuff either.  She just does it.  

If I have a doctor's appointment or an errand to run that I can't take the kids she comes over, she babysits, fold my laundry, cleans my kitchen, tidies up after the kids, it's such a blessing.  And there have been many times that Laurie, my sister in law needs her the same day I do, she just comes to me first or vice versa and then leaves and goes there.  Her "retirement" is not retiring at all.  She is just as busy as ever and we appreciate her so.

Something I truly admire about my Mom is her sweet and humble faith.  She goes to church every Sunday by herself.  She puts God first.  She is honest.  She is kind.  You will never catch her saying a bad thing about anyone, even if there are really bad things about them!  She won't even say anything bad about people she doesn't agree with, she will just say, "They aren't very nice!" That's about it.  

“True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” ― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Happy Birthday, Mom!!! I'm so glad we have you and that we are close.  You mean the world to us.  We love you!