On Tuesday, out of the blue, I received an email from a client wanting me to jump on an assignment for them in a pinch. This was a client that I had made previous arrangements with to write for but didn’t know when exactly I would start.

So, their email to me with my first assignment Tuesday was unexpected.

On top of that, they wanted me to interview a source by the following day and turn copy in by Friday.

As a stay-at-home dad I have some unique challenges that other writers don’t experience. Namely, I had to immediately figure out babysitting arrangements for Jocelyn while I was out Wednesday morning interviewing the source.

First, I thought of my wife. Fortunately, her boss is very understanding and will often times let Helen take care of Jocelyn in the workplace. The one problem: Helen was in back-to-back meetings Wednesday morning. Not very conducive for babysitting, even though my wife was willing and her colleagues, understanding.

But late Tuesday afternoon, it was my mother-in-law, Dixie, who swooped in and helped when it was needed.

So much of pop culture puts a bad spin on mother-in-laws. But I’m one of the lucky husbands whose mother-in-law is one of the sweetest, most generous, you’ll ever meet.

So, thank you, Dixie, for helping out in a pinch this morning. My story will be better for it, and Jocelyn will be well taken care of. She loves her grandma!

And lastly, a big thank you to all those mother-in-laws out there who defy the pop culture definition of what it means to be a mother-in-law.