So... I think everyone can agree with me on one thing... no matter how absolutely WONDERFUL your in-laws are, they can take a bit of getting used to. Thankfully for me, it took almost no time at all. I'm so grateful for the amazing in-laws that I have been blessed with. The first time I met Margaret (Ross's mom), we hugged in the airport. She is so incredibly welcoming and sweet. The first time I met Ross's brother Joe, his wife, Sarah, and their little boy, Rocky... it was a TOTALLY different story. I love them SO much now, and cannot wait for them to move out here, but the first meeting was incredibly rocky (totally just a misunderstanding on all of our parts). I guess what I'm trying to get at, is that my in-laws all seem to portray many of the qualities that I love in my husband. Some of the more important ones:
- They seem to really be attentive to the needs of everyone around them
- They really do think before they speak (my own family is notorious for almost never doing it)
- They are incredibly forgiving
- They are truly the least selfish people I know
- They would never dream of bragging about their kids and trying to one up each other
- They hardly ever cut each other off while speaking
- They are some of the most loving family member I have ever known
- They show that they truly understand the meaning of family, they are always willing to drop anything that they are doing and help each other out, no matter what it takes
- They are truly interested in each other's lives and hardly ever talk about themselves
- They love their nieces/nephews/cousins and treat them as if they were their own children and siblings and would never say a single cruel word toward them or about them
I know that there are many families out there who exhibit these traits... but I am just flabbergasted at the extreme respect that they show for themselves, each other, and everyone around them. I would love to see them every day if I could. Every last one of them is just wonderful.
So, being a Weatherspoon has really gotten me thinking. I came from a wonderful family of my own. My family has their own strengths, unfortunately, my family members don't exactly portray the qualities listed above as well as they should. I for one have an incredibly hard time not interupting others. Its something that I've been working on since 19, but am still struggling with.
So... I have a new goal. I want to become more of a "Weatherspoon", meaning, that I want to develop more of the traits that I listed. I want our kids to have those traits. I want them to be practiced in our own home. One thing that I have learned from the Weatherspoon side of our family is that speaking to others with respect is never overated. If I teach our kids nothing more, I want them to know how much their parents love them, how much their Father in Heaven loves them, that the Gospel is true, and that kindness, love, and respect should always be uttered from their lips. Its the best way to show that we truly "Love One Another". Loving words and actions help to bring the spirit into your home, and I want it to be able to reside in ours.
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I think it's important, as a new family, to establish yourself as your own family "unit". (Especially once your baby girl is born and you really become a little family.) And I think by working toward these goals that you've set for yourself is a great way to do that. Having your own traditions as well as ones that you share with both sides of your families is also important, and fun. :) It's so great that you can see all of these positive qualities in your in-laws.
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