The In-Law Relationship | Darling Magazine

Last month I wrote a piece for Darling Magazine online which was all about the in-law relationship, and how to break the stigma that is so often associated with the word. You can read the article in full over at Darling Magazine here and browse through the amazing new sight revamp that was just launched last week in celebration of Darling turning one (also, a really fun photo recap of their anniversary party at Anthropologie! ).

There is this stigma that can too often be placed on the in-law relationship. Our world tells the dating and the newlywed—to beware!—that getting married to the one you love also means a commitment to an entire family photo album’s worth of individuals. It tells those who are married that in-laws are here to stay, so get along, stick that smile on your face, you’re stuck whether you like it or not. So what about this stigma? Yes, in-laws are here to stay, and marriage does mean a commitment to your spouse’s family—but to everything else this stigma drags in, I think our world is wrong. Why do we have to beware? Why do we have to choose wisely on the premise of in-laws? Why is it a negative thing that they are here to stay, and what if I want that? Can we not go into our in-law relationships with an unbiased outlook and an open heart, with grace and without preconceived notions? Clearly, the stigma and attitude surrounding the in-law relationship is flawed. It causes walls to build up before we even allow ourselves to be known, our in-laws to be understood, and a relationship to bud—or even flourish.