Does your chest ever tighten when your phone rings and you see it's someone in your family who you know needs something?

Does your stomach drop when you get a text message that says, "We need to talk"?

If you're already exhausted before you say yes to a whole plethora of things your family of origin may need from you, this post is for you.

Family obligations are something I have had a complicated relationship with. Growing up, I felt a deep loyalty to my family of origin, particularly my mother and my sisters. And it got complicated when I fell in love with my husband and became a bonus mom to three teenage sons. There was so much going on, and the truth is, you can't really prioritize both.

There's a natural shift that happens when you have a family of your own, or like me, you marry into a family. And when I was the one keeping it all together in my family of origin, I had to really decide what I was going to do. I was confronted with the extent of my obligation.

So let's talk about family obligations, guilt, roles we didn't actively volunteer for, and why so many capable, loving, high-functioning people feel trapped by the responsibilities they quietly resent.

Read the show notes for today's episode at terricole.com/801