These are like the two faces of the coin. They can never meet. They are like numerical 6 which looks like 9 also when seen from the opposite angle. So, they are right from their respective point of views.
Irony is all Mother in laws have been Daughter in Laws and all of them had similar complaints against their Mother in Laws. It has been a hate love relationship always.
It’s only the battle to reiterate the authority, and control due to insecurity or unwillingness to share their Child with someone else which turns this character Mother in Law into a villain.
This is the extent which someone can go to when they love their Son Dearly and Blindly. Even a Daughter is their Child, but with Daughter the acceptance that she belongs to another family, and she is bound to go is the expectation from birth as a part of our tradition.
Mother in Laws are blinded not to see their own past, which carried bitterness towards their Mother in Law and the reasons for the same.
And on the other hand, since from generation to generation Daughter in laws have been changing. Mother in laws are sounding outdated.
So, in Today’s world only in cities these relations have evolved from being more torturous to less torturous, more authoritative to less authoritative due to education, careers of Women and existence of nuclear families with in laws staying far off.
So, as Mother in Laws, let us get liberal, and not try to prove our supremacy by advising when not asked for and over ruling every act or decision of daughter in law, just to show our control over our sons. Certain lessons life needs to teach than the Mother in Laws. And as Daughter in Laws, let us learn to ignore unwanted stuffs, inculcate the right advises and keep ourselves busy with constructive things.
-Sucheta Gour
