My wife's step-mother passed away today. She was discovered this morning on the floor of her apartment. She had a weak heart and had had a lot of struggles with it over the years. The title "step-mother" brought with it unfortunately many of the stereotypical behavioral dynamics that seem to often plague those relationships. She started dating my wife's father within a month of his wife's death. Having a 17 year-old girl in the house of her intended didn't fit well with her plans evidently, because she tried to mold the recently motherless girl into a sort of copy of herself. Her values, her tastes, her pastimes, even her mode of dress, which seemed to me to be as delicate as a Dresden doll. When my wife, then my girlfriend, rejected the really very controlling type of influence this woman tried to exert, enmity ensued, and they never were able to become friends. They were cordial, but that was it. This week, and the funeral may well be awkward, as we have been left out of the loop. The gentleman who found her, was kind enough to call us and has always been a nice man. The vitriol, the little 'digs', the temper tantrums and the icy stares are something none of her friends know anything about. Nor do any of them realize what it was like for my wife to have this woman try to take over in the household, and interrupt her natural period of grief. She was a nice person to many others however, and aside from a gossippy nature, she did believe in Jesus and trust in Him. I honestly believe she is with Him now. Praise His name. I guess what we can do is pray about how things will go this week and at the memorial and just represent Jesus the best way we know how to.