A Daughter-in-Law Named Ruth
In celebration of International Women’s Month, I was inspired to write about some of the women who have been my life’s greatest inspirations…
One of my favorite women in the Bible is Ruth. She was known for her love and loyalty as a daughter-in-law. Despite the death of her husband, Ruth chose to stay with her mother-in-law and committed to stand by her no matter what.
Her words say it all:
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| Ruth of the Bible |
The story of Ruth is very close to my heart.
You see, I know a woman named Ruth, and I believe it is no coincidence that she was given that name. Like Ruth in the Bible, her life has also been about love and sacrifice—especially in her role as a daughter-in-law.
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| A modern-day woman named Ruth |
Ruth got married at a young age. Despite having a promising life ahead of her, she embraced her role as a wife and mother. But little did she know that she would also be called to fulfill another challenging role—that of a daughter-in-law.
Starting a young family was already challenging enough. But sharing this new chapter of her life while living with her in-laws made it even more difficult. She had to deal with the pressures of living up to expectations while fulfilling her role as a wife and mother and trying her best to become the obedient and “ideal” daughter-in-law.
Her relationship with her mother-in-law was quite complicated. At times, they could be as close as the best of friends. At other times, they could be the worst of enemies.
Their already difficult relationship became even more challenging when a series of tragic events happened in her mother-in-law’s life. These were simply too much for her to bear, and she eventually became even more difficult to deal with.
With Ruth’s husband being the only one left in the family to care for his mother, Ruth chose to stand by her husband and support him in his responsibility. She remained by his side and continued to do so until the death of her mother-in-law.
I never really needed to ask her how she managed to deal with all of that throughout 35 years of married life.
I know her as a very prayerful woman.
Prayer is her inspiration, and her devotion to the Rosary is her strength.
I witnessed how selflessly she loves her family—standing up for her children and proving her love and loyalty to her husband, especially when things get tough. In silence, she sometimes bore the insults and emotional stress brought about by her relationship with her mother-in-law, simply because she wanted to keep the family together.
And like any other person, I have also seen her in her weakest moments—those times when she came close to giving up.
Ruth is not a perfect woman, but I admire her sacrificial love and faith.
She taught me that family is everything and that every member of the family is worth fighting for. She inspires me to love with a humble heart—which, I must admit, is sometimes difficult for me to do. She encourages me to embrace my own role as a devoted wife and loving mother.
Her sacrifices as a daughter-in-law are definitely not an easy example to follow.
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| My mom and bestfriend! |
But beyond all these, Ruth is my mother.
And through her life, she never fails to remind me that things happen for a reason. Even when life seems tough and difficult, we have to trust that there is a purpose behind it all.
Because in the end, it is God’s plan.
And His plan is always for the best.
