My husband’s mother emotionally overwhelmed me when she suddenly asked to assist me with the baby shower most helpfully. However, she had something else in mind that aimed to erase me, but I wasn’t having it!
When my mother-in-law (MIL), Margaret, offered to throw and plan a baby shower for me, I genuinely thought she was trying to be kind. But I should’ve known better because all she did was embarrass and paint me in a bad light in front of friends and family!
An unhappy pregnant woman | Source: Midjourney
I was eight months pregnant, and everything hurt, my feet, my hips, and even my eyelashes felt sore! My OB kept telling me to rest more, so when Margaret leaned across my kitchen island one day and said, “Let me take this off your plate, sweetie. You just focus on resting and growing that baby,”
I almost started bawling right there over the sink full of dishes! My eyes went wide with surprise! I felt like maybe I was dropping the ball by not planning my baby shower myself. But I was exhausted and honestly relieved someone wanted to take over!
A woman plotting | Source: Midjourney
“Are you sure?” I asked tentatively, feeling uncertain of my MIL’s intentions but desperate for the help.
“Absolutely. It would be my honor!” she offered. “You just rest up, you and the baby need it.”
“Oh, Margaret! You have no idea how much this means to me!” I said, gladly relinquishing everything to her.
I gave her the guest list, the registry link, and a carefully curated Pinterest board for the theme, titled “Baby Harper’s Day.” I even offered to help set up if she needed it! She waved me off.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got it.”
And technically, she did.
Except what she planned wasn’t a baby shower. It was a full-blown tribute to herself!
A woman working on her laptop | Source: Midjourney
See, my friends and other female relatives were all inundated with their own lives and issues. Others were out of the country, while some were having family problems or hard times at work. They weren’t negligent or anything, it’s just that life happens sometimes.
However, they’d all promised to block out the date and attend no matter what. Plus, they had offered to make it up to me by babysitting as much as they could when the time came.
So you see, I really needed my MIL’s help.
Two remorseful friends | Source: Midjourney
Margaret has always had a way of spinning the room around her like a tornado: big smiles, big stories, and even bigger sighs when she doesn’t get the reaction she wants! She once cried during my bridal shower because no one clapped loud enough after her speech.
She also introduces herself like she’s reading from a teleprompter: “Mom of three, nurse of 30 years, and soon-to-be BEST Grandma!” She’s even said it to a gas station attendant and a confused cashier!
A confused cashier | Source: Midjourney
Still, I told myself this time might be different. Maybe this was her way of trying to connect. Maybe this was her version of nesting.
Oh, Mia. You naive, bloated fool!
The morning of the shower, I was more excited than I expected. I wore a lilac dress with soft ruffles, picked specifically to match the theme I’d dreamed up: Wildflowers and Woodland Creatures. I even curled my hair, even though it felt like lifting dumbbells with every pass of the curling iron.
A happy pregnant woman | Source: Midjourney
When my husband, Eric, helped me out of the car in front of the rented venue, I froze while feeling a sinking in the pit of my stomach. There was a giant white-and-gold banner strung across the gift table in the entryway that read: “Welcoming My Grandchild!”
Not “Celebrating Baby Harper.”
Not even “Mia’s Baby Shower.”
Just… “My Grandchild.”
Underneath, in slightly smaller text: “Hosted by Margaret — Grandma’s Little Angel and Future Best Grandma Ever.”
A banner at a baby shower | Source: Midjourney
My husband blinked, then turned to me with that same deer-in-headlights look he had the day he accidentally shrunk all my maternity leggings in the dryer.
“Babe… did you know about this?”
“Nope,” I said, pressing a hand to my stomach as Harper gave a solid kick like she knew we’d just stepped into weird territory.
Inside, it got worse!
A surprised pregnant woman | Source: Midjourney
Each table had a centerpiece, but instead of florals or baby-themed decorations, every vase held framed photos of Margaret in her younger years as a mother! My MIL holding Eric as a baby, her in a nurse’s uniform, and Margaret in a hospital bed with her firstborn, tears streaming down her face!
I scanned the room, hoping for something—anything—that connected to me or the actual baby I was still carrying!
Nothing.
A table with a framed photos as centerpieces | Source: Midjourney
The cake was a two-tier lemon sponge with “Can’t Wait to Be a Grandma!” written across the top in gold cursive script.
No mention of Harper.
Not a single sonogram photo was in sight. None of the registry gifts we’d hoped for were on the table. No diaper raffle. No “Mommy-to-be” sash. No one even knew my due date unless they asked, and they did!
It was like Margaret had created a parallel universe where I was just a surrogate carrying her grandchild!
A happy woman at an event | Source: Midjourney
Eric wanted to confront Margaret then and there, but I had no energy to fight. I begged him to leave it and promised him that everything would be fine, even though I knew it wouldn’t. I just wanted to get this thing over and done with, because a part of me blamed myself for allowing Margaret to play me like she had.
I smiled. I thanked people. I posed for pictures. And every time someone tilted their head and commented, “Margaret said you didn’t want to be involved,” or “Margaret said you were too tired to even care,” and “She said you didn’t care about the registry we got,” I clenched my jaw so tight I thought I’d chip a molar!
An upset pregnant woman pretending | Source: Midjourney
I overheard Margaret telling her sister, “She’s not really a planner. Doesn’t like the spotlight. I knew I had to step in.” Her sister nodded like my MIL was some unsung hero instead of the steamroller she actually was!
I wanted to scream as I stood there in a dress meant to match the theme I’d chosen, a theme she ignored! Instead, I sat through it. I told myself I’d deal with it later. Maybe even laugh about it one day.
Then came the toast.
A woman about to make a toast | Source: Midjourney
Margaret tapped her glass with a fork and dabbed a single tear from the corner of her eye like she was accepting an award!
“It’s been so hard planning this all alone,” she said, holding up her glass, her voice shaking with faux emotion. “But anything for my grandbaby! I know they’ll grow up knowing their grandma did everything she could for them, right from the start.”
People clapped as they turned their heads to me. I did too, trying to cover my embarrassment, but I knew in that moment what exactly I’d do the next day because I’d made note of everything!
An upset pregnant woman plotting | Source: Midjourney
Eric squeezed my knee. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered after he picked me up and we got home. “I didn’t know it would be like this.”
“Neither did I,” I muttered, forcing a tight smile for the next group selfie.
But that night, I stood in the nursery for a long time, staring at the decorations I made by hand. The ones I’d asked Margaret to hang at the baby shower. She hadn’t.
She hadn’t used a single decoration I made!
Hadn’t sent out the digital invites I created!
Hadn’t included the custom cake topper I ordered with Harper’s name!
She didn’t just forget me, she erased me!
An unhappy pregnant woman at home | Source: Midjourney
So, I posted a quiet carousel on Facebook.
It included the woodland-themed decorations I’d made. The cake topper with Harper’s name: “Baby Harper—Coming Soon.” The invitation mockup with lavender wildflowers and soft script.
And the caption: So grateful to finally celebrate our little one, despite the things that were quietly erased.
No tags. No names. No drama.
Just facts.
A pregnant woman posting on Facebook | Source: Midjourney
What I didn’t expect was for the comments to come in fast!
“Wait, you designed these?”
“I thought Margaret said you didn’t want to plan anything?”
“Why didn’t we see any of this at the party??”
“She told us you weren’t involved??”
Turns out, Margaret had told everyone I was too exhausted, too overwhelmed, too checked out to be involved!
She made it sound like she was swooping in to save the day!
But once people saw the post, the narrative cracked.
Her glow dimmed.
An angry woman | Source: Midjourney
Margaret called me five times that afternoon! Left three voicemails!
“It was just a misunderstanding.”
“You embarrassed me.”
“You’re making this personal.”
But it was personal! Because she’d made me invisible, at my own baby shower!
She’d made it all about her when it was supposed to be about us.
A shocked woman holding a phone | Source: Midjourney
Two weeks later, at my husband’s suggestion and planning, we had a do-over!
Nothing fancy. Just a handful of people who actually care. Close friends, Eric’s sister, my mom, some relatives, and the theme I originally envisioned!
There were wildflowers. A soft instrumental playlist of lullabies. Mason jars filled with lavender lemonade. My handmade decorations dotted the room. And a banner that read: “Celebrating Baby Harper and Her Mama.”
No Margaret.
Eric didn’t fight me on that. He just nodded and helped hang the banner.
A man about to hang a banner | Source: Midjourney
“I love this,” I whispered, sitting on the couch as everyone cooed over the gifts and asked about the due date.
“Me too,” he said, rubbing my back gently. “This is how it should’ve been.”
I didn’t post about that second shower.
I didn’t need to.
But Margaret heard about it. And I think—just maybe—that was enough.
Because here’s the thing, I am sure now she realizes: You can plan the party all you want. But if you erase the mother, don’t be surprised when the spotlight doesn’t follow you home!
A happy pregnant woman | Source: Midjourney
If you enjoyed that story, then the following one about MIL who tried sabotaging her daughter-in-law‘s (DIL) wedding day, will have you shocked! The DIL thought she was defeated until those close to her helped her get revenge!
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
Jackie Kennedy’s bodyguard rejected her offer of a playdate with their kids, he said she was a “great mom”
During her tenure in the White House, Jacqueline “Jackie” Kennedy rose to become one of the most adored First Ladies in history. For everyone seeing from the outside, the life of the Southampton, New York native and the then-youngest president to assume office—John F. Kennedy—seemed like a perfect love tale.
Everything changed on that dreadful November 1963 day in Dallas, Texas, when John F. Kennedy was shot and killed. Years later, Jacqueline, sometimes known as “Jackie,” would remarry after having to adjust to a completely new life.
Despite her enormous popularity, little was known about Jackie Kennedy’s existence in the White House; even though the people loved her, there were concerns regarding her availability on a daily basis.
New details about Jacqueline and her private life were disclosed by her former bodyguard, Clint Hill, in an interview with the JFK Presidential Library and Museum.
But first, let’s examine Jackie Kennedy’s life in more detail.
On July 28, 1929, in Southampton, New York, she was born Jacqueline Lee Bouvier. Her parents are Janet Lee and John Vernon Bouvier III.
Jackie Kennedy’s formative years
The Bouvier family was well-off, and her father was a stockbroker. At an early age, Jackie showed an interest in writing, painting, and riding. She was sitting on a horse’s back pretty much as soon as she could walk.
Due to her family’s financial stability, Jackie Kennedy attended some of the top private schools available. She spent her early years composing poetry and other stories and creating her own pictures for them while residing in New York City, Hampton, Newport, and Rhode Island. She studied ballet as well.
Jackie enrolled in Miss Chapin’s School on East End Avenue in New York’s first grade. Jackie was considered by Miss Platt, one of her instructors, to be “a darling child, the prettiest little girl, very clever, very artistic, and full of the devil,” according to the JFK Library.
By coincidence, Jackie got into a lot of trouble. “Jacqueline was given a D in Form because her disturbing conduct in her geography class made it necessary to exclude her from the room,” a headmistress Miss Ethel Stringfellow said on one of her report cards.
Jackie’s parents separated when she was ten years old, and her mother Janet later wed Hugh D. Auchincloss. Then, the family relocated to his house close to Washington, D.C.
Jackie Kennedy started attending Vassar College in 1947. She returned to George Washington University in 1951 to receive her degree after spending her junior year studying at the Sorbonne in Paris.
worked as a photographer and journalist.
Jackie developed empathy for individuals from other nations, particularly the French, as a result of her stay in France. She was unaware, nevertheless, that one day she would have the title of First Lady of the United States.
“It was the most beloved year of my life.” Of her year in France, Jackie Kennedy remarked, “Being away from home gave me a chance to look at myself with a jaundiced eye.”
“I came home happy to start over here but with a love for Europe that I’m afraid will never go,” the speaker said. “I learned not to be ashamed of a real hunger for knowledge, something I had always tried to hide.”
Jackie started her first employment at the Washington Times-Herald Newspaper after graduating from George Washington University. She adopted the persona of the “Inquiring Camera Girl,” going about the city during work hours, snapping pictures of individuals and posing various inquiries to them based on the topic of the day.
She kept on her column writing for the newspaper, conducting interviews with notable figures including Richard M. Nixon and covering Dwight D. Eisenhower’s first inauguration.
Jackie got to know John F. Kennedy, the man who would become her husband, at work at the Herald. She received an invitation to a dinner party in Georgetown in 1952, sent by Charles Bartlett, a friend and fellow journalist.
How did John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy get together?
John Kennedy was a buddy of his as well. When they first met, Jackie and John clicked right away.
As stated in America’s Queen: The Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Jackie’s family friend Molly Thayer remarked, “She knew instantly that he would have a profound, perhaps disturbing, influence on her life.”
At her rendezvous with future president John, sparks had already flown, even though Jackie left to go on another date. Ted Kennedy, his younger brother, said that he loved her.
When he first saw her at supper, “my brother really was smitten with her right from the very beginning,” he said.
Thus, it came to pass that Jackie and John F. Kennedy fell in love. The couple wed at St. Mary’s Church in Newport, Rhode Island, on September 12, 1953. Kennedy had already been elected to the U.S. Senate by the time they traveled to Mexico for their honeymoon.
JFK had plenty of free time at the same time that his political career was flourishing. During his recuperation from the back surgery, Jackie suggested that he publish a book about US senators who had sacrificed their careers to stand up for causes they supported.
Following the publication of Profiles in Courage, JFK was awarded the 1957 Pulitzer Prize for Biography. The birth of Caroline, the Kennedy family’s first child, made it a momentous year for them as well.
The life of Jackie Kennedy in the White House
A triennial later, Kennedy declared his intention to seek the presidency. JFK took over as the country’s next president on November 8, 1960.
Jackie, then thirty-one, was instantly crowned the First Lady of the United States. Her husband became quite upset shortly after the inauguration, and Jackie and JFK had a beautiful moment.
The pair was captured in the now-famous photo by AP photographer Henry Burroughs with Jackie’s palm resting on his chin.
“Why didn’t Jack kiss you after? Everyone asked, knowing full well that he would never do that there. Jackie Kennedy said, “But you had to march out in such an order that I was about eight behind him.”
And I really, really wanted to see him by himself before lunch. And I was just so proud of him when I finally caught up to him in the Capitol.
And there’s a photo where I put my hand on his chin and, you know, he’s just staring at me, and there were actual tears in his eyes,” she continued. I thought there was no one there, and then a flash occurred. The papers stated that his wife had chuckled him beneath the chin. That was so much more poignant than a kiss, in my opinion, because he actually did start to cry.
Jackie had a strong sense of duty to her nation. She was totally committed to their family at the same time, especially because John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr., their second child, had been born a few weeks after the inauguration.
After the death of John F. Kennedy, life
The White House grounds were updated to include a swimming pool, a treehouse, and swings to better accommodate a family with young children. As First Lady, Jackie’s primary goal was to preserve and repair the White House.
After this was finished, Jackie Kennedy personally gave a tour of the facility. Over 80 million viewers tuned in to the CBS broadcast, and Jackie Kennedy received an honorary Emmy Award.
Patrick, John and Jackie’s third child, was born on August 7, 1963. Sadly, a serious lung condition claimed his life just two days later.
Then came the notoriously horrific Dallas, Texas, tragedy of November 22, 1963, when President Kennedy was shot and died. At the age of 34, Jackie became a widow, and millions of people worldwide expressed their sorrow.
Jackie was commended for her bravery and decency at the moment. She started working on the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum shortly after her husband passed away.
Jackie quickly stepped back from the spotlight and wed Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis in 1968. In 1975, she experienced her second divorce and made the decision to start a new profession. Jackie started off as an editor at New York City’s Viking Press before moving on to Doubleday as a senior editor.
Cause of death: Jackie Kennedy
She died on May 19, 1994, of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and was buried next to John F. Kennedy in Arlington National Cemetery, which is located outside of Washington, D.C.
All those who had known her as the First Lady were particularly hurt by her passing. However, not much is known about Jackie’s personal life, despite the fact that she rose to enormous popularity at the White House.
Clint Hill, her former bodyguard, recently opened up about his life defending Jackie, disclosing a lot of information that most people are probably unaware of.
Clint joined the Department of the Army as a counterintelligence agent and worked for President Eisenhower in Denver, Colorado. He was chosen one day to become an agent and collaborate closely with Jackie Kennedy.
He initially believed that would be a rather uninteresting detail.
“All right, we’ve made up our minds about what to do. You will be paired with Mrs. Kennedy. And I remember being extremely horrified,” Hill said.
“I was not interested in that task. I knew what prior first ladies were capable of. I had no desire to participate in fashion presentations, tea parties, or dance classes.
However, Clint quickly saw that Jackie was different from the other First Ladies who had come before her. The two struck up a wonderful friendship that progressively got better with time.
As previously stated, Jackie prioritized her children above everything else, serving as both a mother and a First Lady. Clint Hill also picked up on that very fast.
Clint Hill, a former bodyguard, describes Jackie Kennedy’s personality.
She desired that the kids grow up to be typical kids. Nothing noteworthy. They were to be handled by the agents as though they were one of their own. The children got back up if they fell. You failed to assist them. All of this has to be learned by them independently. He clarified, “She wanted to keep herself and the kids as anonymous as possible.
Yes, she made a fantastic mother. Her worries were centered around them and their schooling. In order to provide Caroline with an education, she established a school within the White House and invited several young students from various backgrounds to enroll as well. There were two teachers there, and it was located directly on the White House’s third level. He said, “They used to play out on the south grounds.”
Despite their intimate bond, Jackie always addressed Clint as Mr. Hill, while he addressed her as Mrs. Kennedy. He once moved his entire family to Squaw Island, where the Kennedy family was staying, for the duration of the summer.
As the First Lady’s bodyguard, Clint put in a lot of overtime and was frequently away from his family. As a result, his kids were essentially left fatherless.
However, Jackie occurred to observe that Clint’s kids were the same age as hers that summer on Squaw Island.
She asked Clint’s kids to come play with hers.
But as for him, he turned it down.
“She cared about us more than she did about herself.”
At last, I persuaded her by telling her that it wasn’t a good idea. In the government, I work. You are the president’s wife. These are the offspring of the President. Something should happen because I don’t think it would be a good idea for my two kids to play with your two kids. When she eventually realized what was wrong, she said, “Okay.”
Naturally, Clint Hill was there that awful November 1963 day in Dallas, Texas. He is recognizable in photos as the Secret Service operative who got into the automobile after JFK was shot.
Hill accompanied Jackie Kennedy to the hospital, and he was given credit for ensuring that no pictures were taken. He naturally desired to keep Kennedy’s privacy private. But she did something he didn’t anticipate when they got on the plane to return to Washington.
Instead of lamenting the death of her cherished spouse, Jackie Kennedy inquired about Clint Hill’s well-being.
“Oh, Mr. Hill, what’s going to happen to you now?” she exclaimed. Clint noted in the interview that “she was so much more concerned about my well-being and that of the other agents that were involved, that she wanted to make sure that we were going to be okay.”
“And I assured her, Mrs. Kennedy, I would be alright. I’ll be alright. She wasn’t dressed differently. She hadn’t tidy up. She was just shocked; she hadn’t done anything. Furthermore, she cared about us more than she did about herself.
Leave a Reply