I love this so much. I have two daughters-in-law, and I have a great relationship with them because I was determined to treat them as kindly as my MIL treated me. I always told my husband that I wanted to be like his mom, not mine (who was the classic awful MIL).

Our sons were not frivolous daters—one of them was interested in only two girls before he dated the woman he married, and the other never dated anyone until he realized he was in love with his best friend (and she realized she was in love with him at the same time, thankfully!)—but when they did start to date, I took it seriously, assuming it would last.