History Is Made At The In-Laws

Every time Gary and I leave the in-laws, Gary's Mom, Wilma, hugs us both. His Dad, Ken, hugs me and shakes Gary's hand.

Unbeknownst to everyone, THIS BREAKS WILMA'S HEART. Today, during a loud lunch conversation she randomly announced that ALL SHE WANTS BEFORE SHE DIES is to see HER HUSBAND hug HER ONLY SON just once.

"We don't hug. It's not our thing." Gary shot her down.

"GET UP AND HUG YOUR FATHER RIGHT NOW."

Gary's Dad got up, and Wilma took that chance to up the ante.

"AND WE HAVE THREE GENERATIONS OF S______ MEN HERE AND I WANT THEM ALL TO HUG AND I WANT A PHOTO."

So our nephew, Arhan-fay, got up too. "I'm a hugger," he volunteered to his Grandmother.

Gary did not hop right up immediately, and Wilma pleaded, "Who knows if we all will be together again?"

"That's right," Arhan-fay said quickly, "I could die right this minute. We all could."

Gary got up. "HUG HIM!" Wilma yelled.

I flashed back to when our niece and nephew were pre-schoolers. I protested, "NO! GROWNUPS DON'T FORCE CHILDREN TO HUG! NO TOUCH!"

Still, Gary and his Dad hugged, and Arhan-fay leaned up behind Gary and draped his arms around everyone, and the cameras flashed to document this historic event.

Comments

[Sarah]

The men in my family are also hand shakers. Words cannot express how horrified my Euro husband (where a kiss on each cheek is as minimally affectionate as you get) was the first time he saw my grandfather shake his seven sons' hands at his surprise birthday party--as though it were some kind of meet and greet with a really lame band.

[Becs]

Good Lord. What will Gary do in Paris when he meets M. Le President?

[TravelSkite]

My father grew up in a distant family and never got the hang of hugs. I think he confused them with handshakes: you know, firm and manly. It was actually pretty painful for my sisters and me: we had to be quick to slip one arm between our boobs so they didn't get completely flattened when he squashed us to his chest. We never had the heart to complain, but I wonder now if he was ever puzzled by his girls' one-armed hugs.

[TheQueen]

Sarah - Grandpa and the Seven Sons - yes, it does sound kind of lame, sad to say. When he's here does he adopt the hand shake or does he go in for kisses?
Becs - He will stare at the model-wife's legs.
Big Dot - Ha! I always went with the clavicle hug. The clavicle makes contact, but the rear is stuck out far enough that there is no nipple contact.

[Hattie]

Nipple contact can be a problem. Your MIL sounds like a perfect drama queen.

[TheQueen]

Hattie - she is calm compared to her children. Besides, she has an element of honesty drama queens don't have.