DEAR ABBY: I am a 37-year-old woman who seems to be the go-to person in my family to figure things out. Due to my stepmom not feeling comfortable enough with her English and my striving to win her approval, I made sure to take care of the things she couldn’t from an early age. The problem is, while I used to be proud of myself for always being able to figure things out, I no longer feel that way.
There are five siblings in total. We are all adults now, but my stepmom seems to come only to me to solve any issues she has. If anyone does offer her assistance, she’ll say something like, “That’s fine, but I’ll just ask your sister instead.” I understand this may be my fault because of my incessant need to please her.
Lately, however, I’ve been struggling more and more with feeling used, as if my worth is dependent only on what I can do for her. Is there a way to change her expectations without having to tell her outright how I feel? — TOO HELPFUL IN CALIFORNIA
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