Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Navigating the in-law visit


First off, to avoid any misunderstanding, my in-laws are some of the kindest most caring people I've ever met.  There is nothing that pleases them more than making their family happy.  

For many in-laws, food is the caring weapon of choice.  For guys, this is particularly acute as it feeds into lots of stereotypes on taking care of men.  Basically, the goal is to feed him as though he had a lead role in Hansel and Gretel.  Clearly, none of this ever comes from a place of malice like the witch of questionable ethics in the aforementioned fairy tale.  But it's challenging nonetheless.  This is particularly true if you are on maintenance where the desire to remain careful is not always understood or fully appreciated.  

I experienced this first-hand when I was in Charlotte, NC this weekend.  Would you like another cookie?  Are you sure?  They are so good?  You look great!  Eat some more!  Why not have another biscuit?  It is filled with cheese and butter!  

How does one respond to this kind of genuine affection?  Simple.  Yes ma'am.  I'd love one.  

It's only a weekend, and there is a limit to the damage that can be done.  A week-long visit would clearly require a different discussion.  

2 comments:

  1. Just came back from 10 days with in-laws. I wish I had read this before I went. The upside is they are european and they ride bikes everywhere they go. Thanks for this great blog, I love knowing you are human.

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  2. I totally agree with the above. You're blog is terrific and I too love that you are human. You shed light on the fact that it's ok to have another cookie....and not kill yourself over it.

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