I’ve always been patient—an attribute I strengthened even more when my father remarried after my mother’s passing. So, when my in-laws tried to discourage my relationship with my husband before our marriage, I leaned on this inner strength to endure their attempts at dividing us.
Navigating a new family is rarely easy, and for me, it was especially tricky. Originally from Morocco, I met Jeremy, who was raised in a conservative Southern family in Georgia. You can imagine the cultural challenges I faced. Moving to the U.S. at age 11, shortly after losing my mother, had already been difficult. Adjusting to a new country and a new family setup was overwhelming, especially when my father remarried just a year after Mom’s passing.
Although my stepmother wasn’t inherently unkind, we never fully connected. Perhaps due to her own insecurities, she often acted distantly toward me and my sister. Mom had taught me to respond to such challenges with grace, and that simple lesson—to smile in the face of unkindness—proved invaluable as I dealt with Jeremy’s family.
By the time I met his mother, Leona, I had been dating Jeremy for nearly a year, but family dinners had always seemed off-limits for me. This time, Jeremy ensured there would be no excuse; he even asked his mother to prepare dishes I could enjoy, as I avoid pork and alcohol. But I prepared myself by eating beforehand, suspecting they might not honor his request.
