Relative Humidity in Life After 60

Relative Humidity is how hot you get when you find out your mother-in-law is coming to visit. Okay, maybe not but it fits. Mothers-in-law are the butt of more jokes than any relative I can think of.
I was lucky. My mother-in-law was the exception to the rule. She treated me like a son. And I actually referred to her as my second mom. Of course, that meant that if I needed a gentle slap upside the head she was happy to do it. (figurately) When I need some guidance she was willing to lend an ear. 31 years and she never spoke an ill word. Even after her daughter and I divorced we remained close.
I am not sure I can find another like her. (or one I can train!) The real issue is that when you marry someone you are in fact marrying the family. Talk about relative humidity. There are some people who just can’t get along with others. They feel it is their God-given right to make your life miserable. And by most accounts they do.
It’s a fine line one has to walk in dealing with the relatives in any marriage but after the first one, it gets worse. Sometimes trying to mold two families into one is harder than you can imagine. And stepchildren at any age can be a real challenge.
There are those families that do make it work. And I applaud them. If I ever remarry I pray that our blended family is more like the characters on “Reba”. Sure they have their problems and life isn’t always grand, but they put aside their difference for the good of all and make it work. And it’s all relative.