RJ tried to brush it off, thinking that with time, Lolibaba would warm up to him. But as the months went by, the interference continued. He started to feel like he was walking on eggshells, never knowing when Lolibaba would blow up at him next.
As he worked in the garden, RJ realized that he had been focusing on all the wrong things. He had been trying to prove himself to Lolibaba, to gain her approval, when in reality, he should have been focusing on his own growth.
One day, disaster struck. RJ's company announced a major restructuring, and he found himself out of a job. Eng's parents were visiting from out of town, and Lolibaba was, of course, over for dinner. As RJ broke the news to her, Lolibaba's expression turned from concerned to downright disapproving.
Rajesh (RJ) had always been a bit apprehensive about his relationship with his mother-in-law, Lolibaba. His wife, Eng, had warned him about her mother's...let's say, "strong personality." But RJ had no idea what he was getting himself into.
The first few months of their marriage, Eng and RJ lived with her parents. Lolibaba would often drop by unannounced, critiquing RJ's cooking, his job, and even his fashion sense. Eng would try to intervene, but her mother would just wave her off, saying, "I'm only trying to help, beta."
One evening, as he was out for a walk, he stumbled upon a small community garden. On a whim, he decided to join in and help out. The work was therapeutic, and he met some wonderful people who didn't care about his job title or his relationship with his mother-in-law.
How was that? Did I do justice to your request?