Dear dogbat:

You are welcome. Like I wrote before, it has to be a “one woman show”- in that I meant that I can see that your husband has not been helpful in your quest to assert yourself and is not likely to be. After all, he himself is submissive to his mother, so submission to her is what he encourages in you.

The fact that your husband is submissive to his mother (common and understandable as a boy needs his mother’s approval so badly. But I am impressed that he was assertive enough to marry a non Christian, so he has it in him to follow his own values and will), means that he is not likely to fight her… or you. He is not likely to fight you as you proceed with this One Woman Show.

Nothing you can do, and neither do you have the right, to tell your mother in law to not use the word “god”- as annoying as it is for you. When you decided to move in to your husband’s country and live close to his family, you also chose that kind of talk to be in your life. You will have to make peace with it, to accept it. And to assert yourself where and when it is fair for you to do so. You can figure out circumstances when to accept and when to assert, ahead of time so that you are prepared.

anita