EVERYTHING
FOR YOUR FAMILY
Single Parenthood
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The graduation announcement sat on my kitchen counter for a month, staring me down. What to do, what to do? My ex-husband’s niece in New Mexico was all grown up and ready to take on the world. My dilemma was…should I care? Last I saw her, Haley was 10, maybe 12. We saw her so infrequently a baptism here, a Christmas there. We were familiar strangers through the years. Now we’re not even related anymore. So what’s an ex-aunt-in-law to do? Am I obligated to maintain relations with my ex’s family now that I’m divorced? Or are they one of the assets lost in the property split? When I was married, I was the perfect daughter-in-law and a thoughtful sister-in-law. In retrospect, a circus seal. I sent birthday cards, shipped Christmas presents and ordered duplicate photos every time I processed a roll of film. When the in-laws were in town, I spun myself into butter impersonating Martha Stewart (the one before the indictment). I fell just short of placing a truffle on their fluffy, down pillows every night. Even though I did all the work maintaining family relations during my marriage, in the end, it didn’t matter. Blood is thicker than water. Even thicker than the savory gravy I poured over perfect pot roasts cooked for visiting in-laws. After a nasty divorce, sides were chosen, loyalties declared. Phone calls from the in-laws stopped. Christmas and birthday presents for the grandchildren are now shipped to the ex’s house. There has been no consorting with me, the enemy, whatsoever. Hmmm…maybe my pot roast was too tough, after all. So what’s the protocol for ex-relatives non grata? Although Hallmark hasn’t acknowledged us yet, we’re out there, in growing numbers. Corinne Gregory, a manners expert and founder of The PoliteChild, says I am bound by my duty as a mother to do the right thing. “They may be your ex-in-laws, but they are your children’s relatives. The blood tie doesn’t simply go away because you and your spouse are no longer married.” Gregory stresses, “Your kids should continue to have a relationship with them unless there’s some overwhelming reason not to.” I didn’t need a manners expert to tell me that. Somewhere in the recesses of my self-pity, I already knew that my kids are the most important element in this equation. Yes, I’m hurt and feel spurned by the ex-in-laws. But in the end, it’s not about me. It’s about what’s best for my children. I may be divorced, but through them, I will always be connected to my ex-husband’s family, like it or not. And so must they. In my new, self-appointed position as curator of my daughters’ bloodline, I sent Haley a congratulations card signed, lovingly, by her 2 cousins. For more information about The PoliteChild program, log onto www.politechild.com or call 425.485.4089. Senior Writer Lynn Armitage still cooks a terrific pot roast. |
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