Meet the Knauss'

Most people probably meet their significant other’s parents much sooner in a relationship then after they get engaged. But, so it goes when you are in a long distance relationship. And I would guess that most people are nervous about this first meeting, hoping that the two sides hit it off. Because anyone who says that it doesn’t matter if you get along with your in-laws is crazy. It’s important and totally does matter. If there is one thing that I have learned from my previous marriage, it’s that.

My previous in-laws did not like me much from day one, whatever their reasons may be. I wish I knew because I bent over backward to change that. But it didn’t. And when I think about why they probably didn’t like me, there was nothing I could have done to change it. We were just too different in our values. This does not matter at all now of course but it does make me realize how much better a relationship is when you like your partner’s family and they like you.

From the minute that I met Chris’ family, they have been beyond welcoming to me. I was definitely more nervous for them to meet me than I was for them to meet my parents. I was very concerned about what they would think about a newly divorced, single mom dating their son and brother. If they had a problem with it, they sure never let me know. I felt instantly comfortable with them. They really made me feel like part of the family from day one. I absolutely love them!

So, as we all sat around together this past weekend, that’s what I thought about.  How important family is. How much I love my family. How much I love the new family that I’m becoming a part of. How when two people get married, two families are joining together, whether they like it or not. And luckily for me, in my case, it’s the former.

I think that’s part of the reason that I wasn’t nervous for everyone to meet. I know that I have the best parents in the entire world and knowing them, I knew that they would like my future in-laws as much as I do and vice versa. My happiness that I get to spend the rest of my life with Chris is now magnified by the fact that we both have amazing families that like each other. So, when it comes to splitting time at the holidays and going on vacations and doing the things that families do, I find so much peace in knowing that Chris and I will always be happy in who we do those things with because we will be with people we enjoy being with and love.