With my mother-in-law, I have a new mommy

We all have heard stereotypical stories about traditional mother-in-laws. Well, mine breaks that mold into very tiny pieces.

When we met, my wife and her mom hadn’t seen each other in a very long time. Her mom lives in Europe, and getting her to travel here was a big deal, but it was something my sweetheart needed and wanted. She even offered to make it her birthday present to offset the expense (like that would stop me from getting her a gift). I could tell that she missed her mommy, and all the logistics got worked out.

It all started out in kind of a funny way. Several months ago, I lightly mentioned that if she wanted her mom to come visit, we have some mileage-points and could get her a ticket. A couple of months went by, and my Angel stood next to my desk and said to me in a somewhat commanding tone, “It’s time to get my mother a ticket.” I just smiled and said OK, because I had already looked at flights and thought I knew just what to do.

At that moment, I didn’t realize that prices had doubled for the summer, and when I found out, I just took a deep breath. A promise is a promise, and if it costs more than I thought (ouch), I just have to suck it up, because that will never matter as much as my wife’s happiness.

So, my mother-in-law took her first flight to the USA, and our summer adventure had begun.

When “Momma G” got here, the two of them were like children. Then my darling wife morphed into a cruise director, and we visited every tourist spot in L.A. and beyond. I swear it was like summer camp every single day. They talked, they walked (the dog loved it too), and they cooked, and cooked, and cooked. Seriously, I put on five pounds, but it was such a delight to see the two of them playing together and being mother and daughter.

Family is very important to me, and to be honest, I don’t have much of it, so this experience was a totally happy one for me. I have a real family again, and it may be growing. My lovely wife got her lovely mom on Match.com, and she met and started dating someone she likes. When he came over, I said, “Hi dad, can I borrow the car keys?” and we all laughed. So now we are running around, doubledating a little, and helping mom navigate a new relationship in a new land. If there were cameras, this would be a reality show.

Having her mother move here and be close by would be a plus in both of our lives. As adults in adult relationships, we all know what we need and how to behave so that no one gets their feathers ruffled. When everyone is nice and polite, it’s hard not to have a good time.

Note: If this story of my mother-in-law finding someone this quickly comes as a bit of a shock to you (as it did to me), it’s not that unusual for older adults. When you know that life truly has an expiration date, you tend to savor it and not want to waste your time.

Looks like they are going sailing on “dad’s” boat today (yes, he comes with toys!), and then tonight we will all dine at the beach. It’s a great life and time, and it’s such a joy to see how happy these two ladies are. When you put your partner’s happiness first, a whole lot of it comes back directly to you. Dr. Barton Goldsmith, a psychotherapist in Westlake Village, Calif., is the author of "The Happy Couple: How to Make Happiness a Habit One Little Loving Thing at a Time." Follow his daily insights on Twitter @BartonGoldsmith