Familial Friday: FIL

[MrsMB]

How's your FIL? Spill!

[MrsMB]

FIL:
* Racist
* Sexist/Overlords his Wife - Tells his wife she can design her dream kitchen for their new house then went behind her back and told the builders to scratch all the plans...plus many other instances. He threw her out of the house before because he found a picture of his little wife on top of the Coy.ote Ugly bar here in town (she's like June Cleaver on steroids...it was a total joke) during the DAY....while no one was there except for her sister and son.
* Knows everything about EVERYTHING - He could literally know nothing about rocket science, meet a rocket scientist, then 5 minutes later tell him how to do his job
* Super hard (read abusive) on my husband growing up
* Not willing to forgive - He refused to be in our wedding because DH wanted his uncle as a groomsman. His Uncle basically raised him! Apparently, FIL and his brother had a fight decades ago...and while they still chatted in public, he didn't want to be seen beside his own brother.
* Has told his sons they didn't have real jobs. (Read, "They don't work with their HANDS!") My husband is very successful and makes a heck of a lot more money then he does. My BIL is a brave firefighter for crying out loud!

I firmly believe he was sent on a time machine as a social experiment....

[amaranth]

I love him!!! He's awesome. We have some different opinions on what are usually divisive issues, but he is willing to converse logically and not let it come between us. If I question something he believes he will research it in depth and come back with books, articles, etc.

Also, we share a love for beautiful leather bound classic literature and he personally goes to the store and buys me a few new books every Christmas. It's so thoughtful. He doesn't buy gifts for any of his other daughter in laws.

ETA: I sometimes wonder why he married my MIL, lol, but for the sake of creating my H I am grateful

[cgpm]

Well, I get the sense that it bothers him that between DH and I, I'm the more dominate personality. He was raised in the 50s and I think he would like the family to follow a patriarchal structure, which DH, nor I, are interested in. What bothers me most is that in dealing with his younger children, he gives in very easily and under minds my MIL. He and I have very different interests and I think he just politely tolerates me.

He seems to be interested in DS, which is nice, but he gets offended when DS fusses while he's holding him. I try to encourage him to change positions, etc. but he just wants to hold him and DS to sit still. Lol. Not going to happen.

[estrellita]

Mines crazy. Like literally crazy. He was in a psych unit for a little while I think while H was in HS. He's much better now but still crazy, lol. He's super paranoid (you should hear the elaborate "traps" he has set up for burglars and what he wants to do.. lol). He also talks a lot about nothing and has a serious problem with interrupting with things completely unrelated to the conversation.

That said, he is a great guy. He loves his sons more than anything (even though BIL isn't biologically his, he treats him just the same). I can tell he really loves E too. He may talk a lot but he's pretty harmless, haha.

[Deleted]

FIL taught DH honour, loyalty, sacrifice, and unconditional love (Also how to be stubborn lol). It's hard to find fault with the man who's the reason my DH became who he is. He's also DH's best friend.
I do sometimes wonder though who DH would side with if FIL & I ever got into a big argument. Realistically, that situation would never arise but I guess I just like knowing DH would be on my side no matter what. If I asked DH, he'd probably say he'd be on the side of whoever's right.

[katespade]

My FIL is one of my favorite people in the entire world. I don't even know where to begin in describing how awesome he is. I tell H all the time that he can never leave me because FIL would totally choose me over H. We don't bother with the IL part anymore, I'm just his daughter.

[wanderingenough]

He's great. He's quiet, much older than MIL, a very traditional value-type. We don't have any issues and he and H get along well. Unfortunately, he hates traveling and lives in a very small town far away so we don't see him a ton. We've bonded a bit these last few years as he has begun to more outwardly acknowledge my MILs crazy, and after being married into the family so long I have no qualms about acknowledging it as well. We will shoot a knowing glance across the room when she does/say something obnoxious which makes me chuckle a bit, because for years I just thought he was this nice old man who let her run the show.

[luv2rn4fun]

FIL is very easy going but can be lazy. He has been retired for years, used to be a detective. He is the president at the local college and loves politics. DH says he wasn't involved much when he was growing up and they don't have much in common. When we see them now he literally pays zero attention to C...partly personality and partly MIL being a grandson hog.

[rockinrobyn]

I love my FIL! I get along with him so much better than my MIL. I can sit and talk to him for hours and we actually have. We have so much in common and conversation just flows so easily. He is a laid back caring man who will do anything possible for his family. The love I see between him and DS is amazing to me.

[bk1]

I love my FIL. He is much more of a dad to me then my own father is.

I've told both my MIL and FIL that I know I'm the favorite child but it's okay because I will keep it a secret.

[awick14]

amaranth- your ETA is exactly how I feel about my ILs.

I love my FIL, he is amazing. He is DHs BF.

He's a very quite sweet man, he is like a second father to me. He has been so amazing through everything dh and I have gone through.

He would drop anything to help out both dh and I.

If my MIL passes first FIL will most likely be moving in with us. He won't be able to fully take care of himself. (MIL does all the cooking and cleaning, as FIL can't "do it right")

[Blue Moon]

My FIL is awesome. He's extremely handy and is always willing to help with projects. He's loving, kind, and very caring. He's semi-retired and he and I have spent a lot of time together in the summers especially because I am home. He's a great husband and is always cooking, cleaning, etc. He's set a wonderful example for my H and I'm very grateful.