My In Law’s Massive Family Drama

I (30F) see so many people on here marrying into horrible in-law families. I just want to take a moment and say to the world how grateful I am for mine.

I effectively have no family outside of my parents on my own. For various reasons with fault on both sides, my parents aren't close with either of their families. It means I'm often a forgotten grandchild, niece, cousin, etc in large part to just not being in their lives much at all. The amount of times I'd -be forget in introductions by my grandparents as the introduced their grandchildren to people -have a birthday where no text, call, or card came

• get a call day of that the visit I'd been excited for for months wasn't happening because they "didn't feel like driving that day" -go to a family event and I'm the only one they forgot to give a role to

The number of times I'd end up crying begging my parents to tell me what was wrong with me that my family didn't love me still hurts adult me for little kid me. As an adult, I finally hit my breaking point when basically all "my family" canceled coming to my wedding the week off. I remember sobbing to my husband for hours not understanding how even one of the most significant days of my life I have didn't matter to them. (They did NOT have other plans, it was just uninteresting to them.)

My husband's family took me in as quickly as they could when he and I started dating, make sure to schedule things so I could always be included, planning food so there were things I liked, taking me out to do stuff and bond together. The second we got engaged I was already being called a daughter, a niece, a cousin, a grandchild. Not a daughter-in-law, not newphew's fiancé but an equal member of the family to my husband and every other blood relation.

When they heard about my family canceling, all 50 of my husband's family came, 13 of those canceling events planned before our wedding date to make sure I felt loved and supported. I've never felt so loved in my life and even though we've been together nearly a decade now, I still feel this way every day. They showed me what family could and should be. Generations of family all still close and all still getting along and loving each other. No strays, no black sheep, just love for everyone.

I didn't know a family this kind and loving and welcoming existed. (I assumed distance and passive aggressiveness and factions were pretty normal. Most of my friends didn't have overly close, though closer than my, families after all.) A few years into our relationship they even started including my parents so that they had a family as well and didn't have to feel alone. Even all the little kids started calling my parents Aunt and Uncle. I'm just really grateful, especially around the holidays, to have finally found a true family and home. It's still sometimes overwhelming and brings me to tears. ( I actually did cry when they gave me some family jewelry pieces a few Christmas ago that they specifically picked out from the safe for me as they were my style.)

Sending wishes to all those out there that you get the chance to find and give familial love like this. Happy holidays however you celebrate!

P.S. Using a friend's throwaway account so this can't be traced back to me.