There is grief in this honesty, too. I worry about jealousy I might not see, about the way divided affection can be turned into a weapon by tired arguments. So I keep tending both relationships with intention: I call my father-in-law to ask about a recipe or to listen to a memory; I sit with my husband and practice the kind of listening he needs even when it’s hard. Loving two people in different ways has taught me how to love more responsibly — to match tenderness with truth, and affection with accountability. I love my father-in-law more than my husband......
There is grief in this honesty, too. I worry about jealousy I might not see, about the way divided affection can be turned into a weapon by tired arguments. So I keep tending both relationships with intention: I call my father-in-law to ask about a recipe or to listen to a memory; I sit with my husband and practice the kind of listening he needs even when it’s hard. Loving two people in different ways has taught me how to love more responsibly — to match tenderness with truth, and affection with accountability.