Minha querida sogra

Odilia is her name and she is my mother-in-law. She is best described as a 'tough Portuguese woman', a woman I admire very much. She married young and had children young. She has seen so much loss and heartache, more than I have the ability to express but she is the epitome of a survivor. From the outside looking in, it would seem that she can roll with the punches. In the face of difficulty, aside from some complaining and nagging, she lets things go quite easily, always trying to see the bigger picture. The side that most don't see or realize is how hard she loves and cares for her family. I know this post is sounding like I am sucking up (maybe I should ask her for a car or a boat after she reads this) but the truth is, I see her qualities in my husband. The man I plan to be with until my last day on earth is stubborn, strong-willed, opinionated, direct and grounded in morality. He gets that from his mother and I am so grateful for the position she holds in his heart as well as mine. It's not all sunshine and daises though, Odie is P-I-C-K-Y. She likes things a certain way and she feels very strongly, thanks to her past experience and wisdom, that she knows best. This particular quality doesn't bother me as much as it would most people because I see her intention behind every action; it may not make much sense that you have to cut the block of cheese at a specific angle but she has her reasons. Take away the part that I am married to her son, I adore her for her can-do attitude. Every problem, every bump in the road, she tackles it head-on. Her mind and body are strong, her heart and soul are fierce, its her lack of confidence and self-depreciation that get in the way of her accepting a simple compliment. Here's what's happening right now, she is reading this post and agreeing/disagreeing along the way. For every negative thing I have said about her she has agreed and for every nice thing I have said she has either disagreed or wondered 'why me? I am no one special?' There are so many people (I can think of at least 20) that adore you Odie, you play an active role in the lives of many and sometimes you second guess your placement. I am here to remind you that you are loved. You are a woman I trust and look up to, a friend and a mother to me. Don't give me too much sh*t for embarrassing you on the internet 😂 I love you minha querida sogra.