When my mother-in-law, Linda, asked to stay with us “just for a few weeks” while her kitchen was under renovation, I didn’t hesitate. Of course we’d open our home — that’s what family does. What I didn’t expect was how deeply those few weeks would stretch our patience, test our communication, and blur the lines of respect and boundaries.
From the moment she arrived — suitcase in tow, offering a stiff air-kiss — it was clear Linda had her own set of expectations. By the second day, she had made herself completely at home. And that’s when the quiet commentary began — not through conversations, but through sticky notes placed strategically throughout the house.
At first, I assumed they were harmless reminders: “Pick up milk” or “Garbage day is Wednesday.” But the tone quickly shifted.
Soon, I found pointed messages around the kitchen, like: “A thoughtful wife cooks every meal from scratch,” or taped to the dishwasher: “A real wife doesn’t ‘forget’ to empty me.” The laundry basket had its own opinion: “Socks shouldn’t be a scavenger hunt — a good wife keeps them clean.” Even the coffee maker had a note: “Coffee should be ready before your husband is.”
