OUCH. My heart is aching just thinking about how that must feel, Claire.
The residual effects of all this B.S. is so painful and it's a reoccurring type of pain.
This holiday, make your own book entitled "mommy and me" for no other reason than to put yourself back into your D's record. It has nothing to do with MIL, her situation is her situation. Insert yourself back into the record. You CAN do this. It's more than photos, it's the action of preserving this so she knows you were part of her FUN during her younger years. It doesn't have to be a statement beyond that.
Take back that control. You deserve it.
I'm a photographer, Claire. I shoot portraits of all kinds, and I am usually hired by the mom of a family. She usually will say something like, "I just want ONE family picture to put over the fireplace or to send out on holiday cards but I don't like how I look so I'd rather have lots of pics the kids."
When I talk to the kids, they ALWAYS say, "I want a picture of just me and my mom".
