A man was shocked to see his mother-in-law sitting next to his boss in his car a day after he kicked her out. “Oh my God!” the man gasped. He had no idea how his mother-in-law had become friends with his boss.
Even after working tirelessly for the past two decades, Jack believed he hadn’t achieved enough to call himself a successful man. At 43, he still thought he could do much better, but his wife, Laura, thought otherwise.
He met Laura at work, but she later resigned and started her own business. Since she was a marketing graduate from one of the best business schools in the country, she knew how to attract customers with little effort.
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When Jack saw her business flourish, he felt intimidated and developed an inferiority complex. “I don’t think I can ever be as good as her,” he would tell himself.
After tying the knot with Laura, Jack felt her parents didn’t like her because he wasn’t as rich as them. Laura came from a wealthy family, while Jack’s parents were not that rich. However, Laura always told Jack it was all in his head and that her parents had nothing against him.
Jack’s insecurity grew with time, but he never listened to his wife. To cope with his feelings of unworthiness, he paid more attention to his work and tried his best to get a promotion. He would spend most of his day at his office and come home late every night.
One day, Jack’s wife called him at work and told him something unexpected. “Jack… Please come home right now,” Laura said in a shaky voice. “Dad passed away.”
“Don’t you understand I don’t want her in my house?” Jack yelled.
Oh no! Jack thought and immediately left his workplace. He consoled his wife and helped with the funeral arrangements. A few days later, Laura told Jack she wanted her mother to live with them.
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“Jack, you know my mother has been feeling lonely after dad’s death,” she said. “I’ve offered her to stay here with us, and if―”
“What? How can you do that without asking me?” Jack looked at his wife with his eyes wide open.
“Why would I ask you? She’s my mother, and she needs me right now.”
“So what? You could have thought of something else. I don’t want her to stay at our house.”
“But why?” Laura frowned.
“She cannot deal with the grief of losing dad all by herself, Jack. She’s coming here once she accepts my offer.”
“No, Laura,” Jack shook his head. “That won’t happen.”
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Two days later, Laura’s mother, Melissa, called her and said she was ready to move in with them. Laura was Melissa’s only child, so she had no option except to live with her daughter until she felt she was ready to live alone.
“That’s great, Mom!” Laura exclaimed while talking to her mother on the phone. “Jack and I will pick you up this evening, okay? Love you!”
“Was that your mom?” Jack asked after Laura ended the call.
“Yes. She’s ready to move in with us.”
“Don’t you understand I don’t want her in my house?” Jack yelled.
“It’s either her or me!”
Laura looked at her husband in shock. “Calm down, Jack. You need to think about this calmly,” she told him. “I’m her only child, and she needs my help. She will leave in a few months.”
“I don’t think she’s ever going to leave!” Jack yelled and stomped out of the bedroom.
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Once Melissa moved in, Jack tried his best to annoy her so she would leave soon. He would pick fights with her purposely and often argued with her.
One day, Jack was attending an online meeting with his boss from his bedroom when Melissa suddenly barged in. “I’m sorry, Jack. But you won’t be getting a promotion this year,” Jack’s boss told him.
Jack forced a smile and finished the meeting with his boss. Then, he turned around and was shocked to see Melissa in his room. “What are you doing here? Were you listening to my conversation with my boss?” he asked her.
“No, dear,” Melissa replied softly. “I was waiting for you to end the call. I came here to tell you dinner’s ready.”
“I know why you were here!” Jack yelled and stormed past his mother-in-law. “Laura! Look, your mom is spying on me!”
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He went downstairs and told Laura what had happened. “Ask her to leave out right now, Laura! I won’t tolerate this,” he said.
“That’s not possible, Jack,” Laura replied calmly.
“Look, I need you to kick her out before Christmas,” he told her. “I won’t let her ruin my Xmas dinner. You need to send her back home on Christmas Eve.”
“But, Jack…”
“I don’t want to hear any excuses, Laura. I’ve given this plenty of time and thought,” he said and stomped out of the house.
“I immediately recognized him when I saw him on your laptop screen that day,” she added.
Laura knew she couldn’t argue with her husband anymore, so she tearfully asked her mother to go back on Christmas Eve. The next day, Jack was happy because his mother-in-law wasn’t around. He decorated the house and ordered Laura’s favorite food for dinner.
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While sitting at the dinner table with Laura, Jack suddenly heard a car park in their driveway. “Who’s that?” he asked Laura.
“I don’t know,” she shrugged.
Jack went to the door and was shocked to see Melissa sitting beside his boss, Matt, in the car he recognized as his boss’. “Hi, Jack!” Melissa waved as she got out of the vehicle. “Hi, Melissa,” he smiled awkwardly before looking at Matt with his eyes wide open.
“Please come in!” Laura said and welcomed her mother and Matt inside.
Once everyone sat at the dinner table, Jack asked Melissa what was happening. “How do you know Matt?” he asked curiously.
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“I have known this boy for decades, Jack!” Melissa chuckled. “I used to work as a secretary for his father when he was a kid. I even babysat him a couple of times when his father wasn’t around.”
Melissa also told Jack she saw Matt while he was talking to him on a video call. “I immediately recognized him when I saw him on your laptop screen that day,” she added.
“What? Really?” Jack gasped. He couldn’t believe what his mother-in-law had just told him.
“Yes, Jack,” Matt smiled. “I had no idea Melissa was your mother-in-law. Such a small world, no?”
“Yeah, this is very surprising,” Laura laughed.
“Do you know why we’re here, Jack?” Matt asked sternly.
“To have dinner with us, right?” Jack smiled.
“Or do you have another surprise for me?”
“I do have one!” Matt said.
It turns out, Melissa put a good word in for her son-in-law with his boss. She told him how hard-working and deserving he was. As a result, Matt decided to promote Jack. “You’ve earned it, Jack!” Matt smiled and shook Jack’s hand.
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“I can’t believe this!” Jack looked at his wife. “Did you know your mother talked to my boss?”
“Yes, Jack,” Melissa smiled. “Mom told me she would come for dinner tonight with Matt.”
Jack was over the moon after learning that Matt had promoted him. He thought this was the best Christmas present and thanked his boss and mother-in-law for making his dream come true.
Later that night, Jack apologized to Melissa for being rude and allowed her to stay in his house for as long as she wanted. “You’re the best mother-in-law I could have asked for!” he told her.
What can we learn from this story?
- Never judge people based on your opinions. Jack thought Melissa didn’t like him, so he was rude and didn’t allow her to stay in his house. However, when he learned how kind his mother-in-law was, he instantly regretted judging her earlier.
- Actions speak louder than words. Melissa never told Jack what she felt about him, but what she did for him was enough to prove that she loved him as her son.
Share this story with your friends and family. It might inspire them and brighten their day.
This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life.
Trace Adkins Reflects on Toby Keith’s Patriotic Legacy, Delivering an Emotional Rendition of ‘American Soldier’
Adkins said, quoting Keith, “Never apologize for being patriotic,” from the platform.
On July 29, 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee, Trace Adkins takes the stage at Bridgestone Arena. Image courtesy of Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images for Universal Music Group
In the two-hour NBC program Toby Keith: American Icon, Trace Adkins paid a moving homage to Toby Keith, recalling their many years of traveling together and the significant influence Keith had via his patriotism.
Adkins was one of the few artists that really know Toby Keith and the man behind the scenes, having been friends with Keith for many years and going on tours with. Adkins paused to remember the poignant message that Keith conveyed at the conclusion of each of his live performances before giving an incredibly emotional and beautiful rendition of “American Solider” in honor of Keith and his dedication to the military.
“I’ve known Toby for a very long time, and we did a lot of gigs together while on multiple tours together. I seem to recall that at the end of each performance he gave, he would always say, “Never apologize for being patriotic.” Every night, he said that, Adkins noted. And since, my God, he really did believe that, I realized while he was saying it that it was both a challenge to the rest of us and a window into Toby Keith’s personality.
Keith lived what he preached, and Adkins praised him for it. Keith had undertaken 11 USO Tours, performing in front of 256,000 soldiers and military families in 18 nations at over 285 engagements.
“He had a deep-rooted love and respect for the men and women who have served this country.” It was real, authentic, and meaningful. With a rich, baritone voice, he remarked, “I always respected him so much for that.” “Toby is someone I could talk about all night, but for now I’ll just say that I’m glad I got to know him and call him a friend. We miss you, Toby. Thank you.
Trace Adkins performed “American Solider” in a terrifying manner a short while later. On the screen behind him, pictures of Toby Keith and his numerous USO Tours displayed during his performance. Toby Keith: American Icon gave a truly remarkable performance, and it was undoubtedly an emotional time.
Written by Keith and Chuck Cannon, “American Solider” was published in November 2003. It can be found on the album Hi Shock’n Y’all and has an RIAA Platinum certification.
Among the many famous country musicians that gave their all to pay tribute to the late Toby Keith was Trace Adkins. Priscilla Block, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Jordan Davis, Scotty Emerick, Brett Favre, Brantley Gilbert, Riley Green, HARDY, Tyler Hubbard, Jamey Johnson, Krystal Keith, Ella Langley, Mac McAnally, Ashley McBryde, Parker McCollum, Leanne Morgan, Darius Rucker, Carrie Underwood, Clay Walker, and Lainey Wilson were among the performers and special guests on the two-hour special.
The special featured a variety of musical performances that showcased Keith’s amazing songwriting and music, but it also emphasized his kindness and generosity by supporting The Toby Keith Foundation’s OK Kids Korral and Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Families from both groups seemed to tell the stories of how they were helped and supported when things were really hard.
NBC broadcast Toby Keith: American Icon on Wednesday, August 28 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The next day, Peacock will offer the episode for streaming.
On February 5, 2024, the legendary country music performer Toby Keith departed from this life due to stomach cancer. He had an astounding 32 No. 1 hits over his career and sold an astounding 40 million albums.
Given that he has achieved a chart-topping hit for 20 years running, including “How Do You Like Me Now?!,” “Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue (The Angry American),” “I Love This Bar,” “Beer For My Horses,” and “As Good As I Once Was,” it should come as no surprise that he is considered one of country music’s biggest hitmakers.
In addition to being inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (after being admitted into the all-genre Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015), he has been awarded the National Medal of Arts and the prestigious Merle Haggard Spirit Award by the Academy of Country Music.
The Oklahoma native won three BMI Country Songwriter of the Year awards over his career in addition to the BMI Icon Award. In 2006, his popular song “As Good As I Once Was” won BMI’s Country Song of the Year.
To date, Toby Keith’s music has received 100 million terrestrial radio spins and over 10 billion streaming.
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