When my mother-in-law once again brought a delegation of grandchildren to lunch, I could not stand it, it seems, now it smells like divorce.

Who would have thought that after five years of marriage, my husband and I would quarrel with the greed of my mother-in-law. For several years, nothing foreshadowed trouble, I even thought that we got along well. Until suddenly I began to notice how our family and husband’s budget began to literally melt before our eyes. For a long time I could not understand what was the matter, until I bitterly realized that the whole thing is that our mother-in-law is now eating very well - we are visiting. What do you call people who eat right at someone else’s expense?



Unsplash The first two years everything was calm, we just rubbed each other. Then the father-in-law and mother-in-law began to visit us regularly, and we were always happy with them. It became a tradition, and pretty soon they became our frequent guests, coming for lunch every weekend. My mother-in-law often praised my dishes: that they were tasty, healthy, with the right proportion of carbohydrates and fiber. After them, our fridge was empty, and soon it began to notice not only me, but also my husband.

Parents taught me hospitality: I always cook a few dishes in advance, because I know that soon we will be visited. And even when she noticed that her mother-in-law began to openly abuse her position, she decided that it would be better for family relations to leave everything as it is. But that changed when my husband's sister started leaving the kids to her grandparents. That's where it all started. Let me tell you a little bit about our budget.



My husband and I have been separated since the first day of our marriage. The two-bedroom apartment was a wedding gift from my parents. It so happened that they are more wealthy than my husband’s parents, and he immediately came to everything ready. But I never blamed him. Especially he is a very hardworking and family man. So he's thinking about our future. Not just ours, but the future of the children we are planning. We want two kids, maybe three. And for this two-bedroom apartment may not be enough.

So from the very first years of our marriage, we agreed to put aside my husband's higher salary to build a house. And all household expenses like communal and groceries to pay with my finances. In addition, in recent years we really want to move to a larger living space for our future large family. So whatever's left on my map at the end of the month, we put off too.



Unsplash No trips to restaurants or vacations and speech can not be. I can’t remember the last time I went to the mall to buy something for my soul, just the essentials. So it came as a big shock to me that money was running through my fingers. And my salary was barely enough to buy groceries for the two of us. Of course, the problem was not that my husband and I started to gain weight.



Since then, the husband’s sister leaves the children for her mother-in-law, since she herself has run out of decree and they both work hard with her husband. But grandparents these days never cook for themselves or children. Instead, they come to visit us because they live nearby. As before, they call before coming, wondering what delicious I made. It's like they're booking a table in a restaurant. Sometimes, just for the sake of decency, they ask if they can take something to visit us.

At first, I was disrespectful because I was uncomfortable asking my husband’s parents. But when they began to lead grandchildren, I realized that I just can not pull to set the table alone - you could bring drinks or all sorts of small things. For example, compote, snack, salad or dessert. But when they said what to bring, they either forgot, or the store was closed for delivery, or they did not find what they needed. They never brought anything.



Unsplash Birthday, or as people are called who eat right boiling point was the situation for my birthday. After her, it seems that even my husband does not want to forgive me, what about my mother-in-law? But I have no regrets, because neither I nor my husband could keep this dining room.

My birthday was on Saturday, but none of my relatives came to us. My parents called, too, but that's because they live far away. But the mother-in-law and father-in-law showed up only the next day, according to Sunday tradition. They brought with them a whole delegation of grandchildren and son-in-law. They came, of course, empty-handed. I wish there was a cake in the store for tea. I decided to ask, hinting:

- You must have come to congratulate me on my birthday.



My mother-in-law joked that my birthday was yesterday, and today is a very ordinary day. I went to the kitchen. That joke got me in my throat. And then my mother-in-law asked me what we had for lunch today.

- Lent borscht, I replied.

You should have seen how surprised her face was!

- What are you doing, giving your birthday guests fast borscht?

- So it was my birthday yesterday, and today is a normal day, I said, the more infuriated my mother-in-law.

She puffed up like a big dissatisfied bird, took her grandchildren by the hands and pulled her out, saying that she was not going to dine in a house where she was not welcome and would not even put a single piece of meat on a plate. Thank you for all the years of my hospitality.



But my mother-in-law did not surprise me, surprised my husband, who began to beg me to apologize to her. I understand him, it is still his mother, he is very unpleasant when she is offended. But I'm not going to apologize, and I think even if she doesn't come back for lunch, it's for the best. Let him eat well in his house, maybe someday he will invite us to dinner.