Jane is my mother-in-law. The very first time I met her I was a quasi-insufferable (she might drop the quasi) college senior wooing the affections of her eldest daughter. It was Election Day 1988 and the first question Jane asked me was whom did I vote for. I responded with what I thought was the only answer a reasonable adult could give. She looked me square in the eye and simply rejoined, "And you feel good about that decision?" Thus was the beginning of our relationship.
I regale you with this little anecdote because it turns out Jane and I are pretty close as far as in-laws go, and over the last decade or so she has been a positive influence in my life. To my credit, her delight, and my wife's disappointment, I have not been the rebellious influence on her daughter I could have been. And in her column, you have to chalk up a few points to the "bark worse than her bite" factor. The point, however, is that she has instructed me by challenging me.