My mum-in-law, Monica

My mother-in-law dropped by today.  She brought a whole container of red currants for us.  She had been to her cabin to do some gardening and picked the berries for us.  She has lots of the bushes growing around her garden and the berries are ripening.  She actually dug up one of her bushes and we planted in my garden but sadly, the plant didn't survive.  But now, thanks to her, I will be able to get a taste of the berries.

 It's really lovely to have her as my mother-in-law.  She is very thoughtful and would give us useful stuff from time to time.  Like today, for instance, she didn't just show up with the berries.  She also brought along a poster showing the times for the start and end of fasting for the month of Ramadan.  She said she was shopping and saw people handing them out.  She took one for us since she knows we are fasting.  How thoughtful is that?

I am so lucky to have such a nice lady for my mother-in-law.  Before I met her, I was, just like any one who is about to meet her future mother-in-law, very nervous.  I didn't know how she was going to be like.  I mean, I wasn't Swedish and I didn't know how to speak the language, so I was very nervous.  I knew she is very close to Pete so I didn't know if she would think that I was good enough for her only son.  Luckily she decided that I am, and from the first meeting at the airport last June, she welcomed me with such warmth.

She is also very helpful.  I am so touched by all the help she gave us when we were preparing for our wedding in June.  She also extended her warmth and help to my family when they were here.  She's also the go-to person whenever I have anything Swedish to ask, especially about cooking and gardening.  She has never hesitated to share gardening tips or recipes with me.  She would even give me seeds and flowers for me to plant when she knew about my interest in gardening.   

She does remind me of my mum.  My own mum has taught me to share.  Back home, we would share food and other stuff with our relatives, friends and neighbours.  I am glad that here, I am able to continue this tradition of sharing with his family, starting with his mum.  So, in return for the berries, I gave her some of the Swedish chocolate cake, kärlek mums, I baked and one of my gigantic tomato plants.  Although we still can't speak each other's language, her wide smile makes words unneccessary.