Ramblings …

Best Son-in-law Joke

By Richard Skaare

I can’t ever remember hearing a father-in-law joke when growing up.  

Back in the post-World War II era of my youth, who would dare take jabs at men who saved the country from its enemies and then became the family breadwinners. Patriarchy was kevlar. 

But I did hear lots of mother-in-law jokes, especially at extended-family cook-outs. The women would listen with smiles of toleration.

What I have liked most about mother-in-law jokes is that I didn’t have a mother-in-law like those parodied.  Alma was more of a second mother to me.  That’s probably because I was the first son-in-law, and, after producing six girls, Alma thought she could use a son.

What I liked most about Alma Mom was her sense of humor. Even in her last hours, as she lay in her hospital bed, in and out of consciousness, surrounded by a gaggle of family members, she looked at me and said something.  I had just come into the room and was standing at the foot  of her bed.  I couldn’t hear her soft words.  

My wife, sitting close to her, leaned in, asked her what she said, and announced to the crowd, “Your zipper is down, Mom says.” Laughter.  I asked Alma Mom if those were going to be her final words to me.  That got her laughing her last laugh. And that became for me the best son-in-law joke and the one that I shared at her funeral service.

I have now run out of mothers: mine is gone, Alma is gone. Sad. No more son-in-law jokes. But lots of memory-smiles.