I used to have a mother-in-law and we used to be friends. As much of friends as that relationship permits. But then I divorced her son, had an affair with another man and became none too popular with her. Oh yeah, that and then I let her son knock me up again and we had a third child. A boy. She wanted a girl. And then I really became unpopular. All through that she had chronic back pain from some sort of arthritis. When we were friends I used to make great efforts to ease her comfort and listen to her tails of pain. But once I fell out of favor I began to doubt her pain, sometimes even mocking it to her son ( now my ex-husband). But here's the thing, after this week of not even being able to get up from a sitting position without first rolling to the floor and then crawling like a dog to get the momentum to stand, I take back any harsh thing I ever said about her pain. To the gods above and to Karma herself I say, "I am so sorry. I repent. Please forgive me."

There. It is done. Dear Pat, I apologize for my doubting and my snide bits of gossip. I am so sorry. Just please, Universe, take this pain away and I will forever be polite to my ex mother-in-law. Or at least I will be until I forget the sting of it all.