Take off your Shoes
When my husband and I were newly married, he still ran a business in his hometown, where his parents also lived, so we made frequent visits there. Their city was much bigger than ours, with so many better shops, cafes, and shopping areas—we always looked forward to those trips. When the girls and I drove out to their city, we often mapped out all the stops we had to make. We already had plans for where to grab lunch and which stores we definitely wanted to hit. We always started the day with a quick pop-in to say hello to my mother-in-law. We'd stand in her doorway with our shoes and coats still on, just to see what she was up to. But every so often, my mother-in-law had this sweet, inviting way of convincing us to stay longer. "Come on, take off your shoes," she'd say. "You absolutely have to try this tasty dish I prepared." My girls already knew that if the shoes came off, our lunch and shopping plans were cancelled. Taking off our shoes was more than j...
