Magnificent sunset

Looking back on the time when mother-in-law and daughter-in-law got together in the past six months, I am deeply immersed in memories.
What force made the mother-in-law walk out of the harshness and indifference she once had and enter a kind and warm place?

Looking at my mother-in-law's thin back disappearing at the end of the aisle in the cabin, the corners of my eyes became wet. Her whisper when she hugged me before leaving echoed in my ears: "Mei, I really can't bear to leave you!"

Hard to win favor

More than thirty years ago, I met my mother-in-law for the first time. She was wearing a high-end plain-colored pure woolen cheongsam. She was dignified and slightly majestic, and her movements made her look like a lady. She is unsmiling and has a rare indifference in her eyes, which makes her difficult to get close to.

My father-in-law flies to Washington from Taiwan for meetings every year, and my husband and I wait for my parents-in-law to come and spend the holidays together every year. In order to entertain them well, I bought several cookbooks and worked hard to learn cooking. When my two elders came here, it was often hot summer, so we built a pavilion in the backyard. Their favorite Changmu Park was even a tourist attraction for the whole family. When my daughter was born Finally, I taught her to speak Chinese from an early age so that she could communicate with her grandma when she came to visit...

However, no matter how hard I tried to win her favor, my mother-in-law always seemed to keep her distance from me. When we get together, she is taciturn and looks on with cold eyes. A look or a small movement she inadvertently reveals always makes me cringe.

The clouds are opening and the sun is appearing

Many years later, my father-in-law passed away. My husband asked me not to go back to Taiwan specifically for this. However, I felt that I should fulfill my filial duty as a daughter-in-law and brought my daughter (she was the only grandchild to attend the funeral) back to Taiwan for the funeral. My mother-in-law looked very strong in front of the guests who gathered to express their condolences. During the funeral ceremony, I did not see her cry from beginning to end, but I felt the sadness in her heart and gently held her hand and stayed with her silently. Before leaving, I invited her to read that day's "Desert Fountain" and comforted her with relevant words from the Bible.

When I got together with my mother-in-law again, her attitude gradually became cordial and she became more and more willing to talk to me. She told me that when she went to church with her Christian father-in-law, she often dozed off and did not believe that there was a true God in the world. After her father-in-law passed away, in sadness and loneliness, she sincerely sought to know the true God. She said, "Now I often feel God's presence with me, and I no longer feel alone!" I couldn't help but jump up, hug her and yell, "That's great!"

Although she and I are separated by an ocean, we often talk on the phone and exchange our thoughts on life. My mother-in-law told me that she loves reading Proverbs in the Bible because it is full of wisdom. She felt that she had benefited a lot, and the sentence she appreciated the most was from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in everything." She also explained to me that the secret to happiness is : Be grateful in everything! I can tell that after reading it, she worked hard to practice it and live out God’s teachings in her life. How valuable it is. I should really learn more from her!

▲Mother-in-law’s kindness and warmth are like the sunset in the sky, pleasing to the eye.

Love between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law

Time flies by twenty years. This time, my mother-in-law came to the United States to stay at my aunt's house. I called and invited her to stay for a while. She declined politely, saying that she was too old to go out. I took a flight to Tennessee to visit and saw that her originally thick silver hair had gradually become thinner. Unable to withstand my repeated invitations and instigation, she happily followed me back. What was even more surprising was that she was willing to stay for half a year.

For her who has always been used to having a maid at home and a driver when she goes out, it is not easy for her to live a simple life with me. I walked with her every day, listening to her talk about her childhood, the glory of her school days, the thrills of running through the war... I got to know my mother-in-law better.

During this period, I often went to Chinatown to buy Chinese food that suited my mother-in-law’s taste, and I also rented videos that she liked to watch. Our mother-in-law and daughter-in-law are equally fond of literature and like to watch the TV series "April in the World" which describes the life of Xu Zhimo. Influenced by her, papaya and purple Japanese sweet potato also became my favorite. In addition to appreciating the few side dishes I cooked, she also praised the Hsinchu rice noodles I fried.

I love reading the Bible to my mother-in-law, discussing with her, and sharing my experiences. When we go out or go to church, people often think that we are mother and daughter, and say, "You look quite alike." At this time, my mother-in-law and I will exchange a knowing smile.

Thinking back on the happy time that my mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had together over the past six months, I was so immersed in the memories that I almost forgot that I was still lingering in the waiting room. Looking down at the airport through the floor-to-ceiling windows, my mother-in-law's plane was leaving the boarding corridor, running slowly and gradually along the long runway, and then, "Swiss!", it soared into the blue sky, leaving my thoughts behind. Also brought to the cloud.

The amiable smiling face of my mother-in-law seemed to reappear in front of me. In her later years of life, what power made her step out of the harshness and indifference she once had and enter a kind and warm place? As I was thinking about it, the car had already driven out of the airport, and the setting sun was emerging from the layers of clouds with a few golden rays of light, spreading its colorful afterglow across the sky. What a delightful sunset!

Author profile
Su Mei is from Taiwan and now lives in Pennsylvania. Having been engaged in social work for many years, I deeply understand the importance of caring for each other. Recent years have been particularly taxing on single parent ministry. Like music, reading, travel.