You don’t need a guy on the internet telling you that the average day is already a circus act, with too many spinning plates and nowhere near enough hands to keep them from crashing. Most of us barely get through work, errands, and the endless parade of little emergencies without losing track of at least one obligation. In this mess, family is supposed to be the safety net-helping hands offered and returned, favors given and received, all helping to keep everyone’s head above water.

That’s why stories like this are scream-into-pillow type maddening. Someone calls on you for help, you do your best to manage your own schedule, and then the whole idea of family support gets twisted out of shape. Suddenly, being willing to help gets weaponized; it’s no longer about pitching in, it’s about squeezing every last drop of patience from the one person who can’t say no. you.