Sisters-inlaw can be great buds
For a guy, sisters-in-law are often seen as the ultimate nuisance. Throughout popular culture, they are often portrayed as nosy, bossy and generally overbearing.
I’d say I’ve very much avoided this stereotype in my life. My very first sister-inlaw — my brother’s wife, Karla — has always been a perfect fit for me and my family. She’s laid back, helpful and always does her part to maintain the peace, even when my family can be a bit much.
When I got married to Linda, I really lucked out in the sister-in-law lottery. All three of her sisters welcomed me into the family right away, and each of them offered a different kind of charm that made me confident that I was entering the right family.
The inspiration for this column is a visit by my sisterin- law, Jenny, who lives in D.C. and is currently hanging out at my motherin- law’s house in Medford. Because she lives so far away, every day with her around is an absolute joy, especially for Linda and her mom. She breaths new life into our routine, shaking things up with clever jokes, though-provoking topics of conversation and various plans and ideas for what to do next.
Not only do Jenny and I share a birthday, we are also both writers. She’s provided me with feedback on some of my more challenging articles and, this past winter, Linda and I read her unpublished novel and had a great mini-roundtable discussion about it on New Year’s Eve. The three of us share the same sense of humor, general worldview and curiosity about the unexplained (everything from ghosts to aliens to neuroscience).
But I can’t go on without saying some words about Linda’s other two sisters, Ann and Barb.
Ann was the first of Linda’s sisters I met when we were dating, and she immediately reminded me of my mother: cheerful, happy-go-lucky and filled with faith in God. She and her husband, Brian, have always been the most gracious hosts for Linda and me (and sometimes just me) whenever we need a place to crash for a couple nights in the Twin Cities. She doesn’t even judge me too harshly for being a Vikings fan, which is saying a lot for a diehard Packer backer.
Barb has a whole other set of uniquely endearing qualities. Not only is she incredibly generous with her time and money, she often employs her skills as a psychiatrist to put my mind at ease whenever I ever have a bout of anxiety or hypochondria. She has a way of calmly talking me back into my rational mind so I don’t diagnose myself with a terminal illness. In exchange, I always give her updates on the most interesting stories I’m working on (she likes the crime stuff.) So, forget what you’ve been told about sisters-in-law. They’re great.
OUT FOR A WALK
KEVIN O’BRIEN
EDITOR
