Monst...err... Mother-in-law

Hubster and I split up four years ago, so the woman I am talking about is history to me, although I don't want her to be so in my son's life; at least not totally until after she's gone. Mrs D is proud and fiercely supportive of her children. A rather premature widowhood must have brought out the best in her. She successfully raised six children single-handedly.

So on to this week's Small Talk Six topic: six things (good or bad) that you credit your mother-in-law for:

1. Calling the shots at my wedding. My then fiance and I were not so keen on a ceremony and reception, but she was. I don't speak Thai and he's useless at organizing such events. We couldn't pull off that kind of wedding the way she did. Being married in a completely different culture from your own is quite an interesting experience. Those chanting monks, strange but lovely paraphernalia and hours of rituals were important reasons why when we divorced, I made sure I got all the wedding albums.

2. A great cook. She invades my kitchen and turns my dining table abundant with luxury hotel restaurant-style Thai cuisine. I love to eat and she likes it when people enjoy her cooking. These two facts go perfectly together. Despite the language barrier this is where we relate well with each other.

3. She's loaded. I wasn't complaining against advantages that fell on hubster and me, like our rented 4-storey townhouse furnished in one sweep because she thought it was a cute thing to do; or when I attended international gradschool which of course doesn't come in cheap, she offered to be on stand-by in case we encounter financial difficulty. I was loose change beside her stock market adventures.

4. A devoted grandma. She helped raise adorable grandchildren. When she was informed I was starting to feel labor pains, she arrived at the hospital ahead of me.

5. Domestic entertainment: wielding considerable influence and power over her brood. It's evident during monthly family gatherings. Nothing was more amusing than to watch her sometimes tell her adult children off. She utters virtually one word and the gorgeous doctor (eldest son), the company executive (second son, my ex), the university professor (her daughter) all bow their heads and obey! She also fires her children's maids if she doesn't like them. In fairness, she finds replacements.

6. She was at the centre of my divorce. Need I say more?

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