I read a story on Reddit that really resonated with me. It’s about a woman whose boyfriend went on a family vacation while she stayed home to take care of her mom after major spinal surgery. It was supposed to be their first big trip together a 14-hour drive to spend Christmas with his family. She was excited despite knowing how overwhelming his family could be, ready to deal with it for his sake.

But when her mom’s surgery came up, she canceled the trip to help her recover. She’s been managing everything at home driving her mom to appointments, picking up the household slack, and taking care of everything her mom can’t. She doesn’t mind; she loves her mom and knows her mom would do the same for her.

Her boyfriend still went on the trip with his sister and nieces, and from what she’s heard, he’s been having a blast visiting a wine farm, hitting the beach, and enjoying quality time with his family. Meanwhile, she’s at home feeling left out and overwhelmed.

What really stung was that he forgot to call her on their anniversary. He’d promised to call, but the day came and went with nothing. It was bad enough they couldn’t spend the day together, but not getting a call made her feel even more forgotten.

“I would say do not do things for his family. That is why you are resentful you had the same expectations.”

“This, I recently stopped doing anything for his family and it feels amazing! My MIL insists she can still live alone after surgery but refuses proper home care. She even asked me to bathe her! I had to set boundaries and stop answering her constant calls and texts.”

Reading this made me think about how tricky balancing family obligations and personal relationships can be. Her feelings seem valid ,she went above and beyond for his family, and when it was her turn to need support, he wasn’t there. It’s tough to know when to set boundaries and when to expect more from a partner.

What would you do in her situation? Would you be upset, or try to let it go for the sake of the relationship?