This is my father-in-law, Jack. He was born in 1920 and joined the navy as a mechanic where he repaired aircraft after missions.
He died in 1983, and when I think about him, the photo on the right is the one I remember most. When we all sat together, he would be seated in his chair with his pipe and his dog.
I started seeing my new boyfriend in early February 1978. We married in 1980. Jack died three years later. That’s no time to get to know someone. It’s sad because we were only just beginning our journey of friendship.
We never moved past that earlier relationship where he was the Joker and I was a gullible teenager. So, today I thought I would celebrate my short time with him with a couple of the tricks he played on me.
They had a caravan in Borth, near Aberystwyth in Wales. A beautiful site, and we visited as often as we could. Hanging from the ceiling was a real starfish. It was hard and had been dead for a long time. He told me that if it was put in water it would rehydrate and come alive again. I spent the whole holiday fretting because I thought it was cruel.
For Christmas dinner, one of my favourtie accompaniments was bread sauce. Dad made it every year to accompany the turkey. On the Sunday before the big day, I had gone to my, not-yet but-soon to-be, parents-in-law, for dinner. Jack put the sauces on the table and my eyes lit up when I saw a dish of my creamy favourite . “Ooh,” I said in wonderment, “Is that bread sauce?” “Yes,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. “You can try some if you like.” He handed me a spoon. I dug in and put a generous spoonful in my mouth.
Except – it was horse-radish sauce. It burnt my mouth and left me coughing and breathless. All the while Jack chuckled. I still can’t eat it.
Now I’m past the age he was when he died, I’m grateful to make memories with my grandchildren. When they reach adulthood, our relationship will have changed, and I hope I’ll be here to share it.
Let us celebrate this day and share stories about our father-in-laws. whether they are still with us or not.
When I put Father-in-Law into the Amazon search bar, it surprised me to see what came up. 😂. However, I made a choice from some of the more sensible ones that came up. 😂
Some fun books you might like:
