Man sometimes you just like, look around and think "how the fuck did I even get here?" You know? Like you work your ass off your whole life, first one in the family to go to college, then law school, and you make it. You actually MAKE IT. And everyone's proud and it’s great and all but then it’s like, it just keeps going. And you keep climbing and climbing and you get these promotions, like I just got partner, which is HUGE, you know? And that means more money, which is good obviously, but then that just means my mom, bless her heart, immediately starts going on about how much we can send to my cousins for their tuition. Which I already do! I pay for like, four of them, seriously. And it's not like I mind, I love my family, but it’s never enough. It's NEVER enough. And it’s not even just the money, it's the expectation. Like, you know that feeling when you get a bonus check and instead of thinking about like, booking that trip you’ve been wanting, or even just like, buying something nice for *yourself* for once, you immediately start calculating how much you can divert before Mom calls? And she WILL call. Every single time. Like she has this radar, seriously. And if you even hint about wanting to keep some for your own damn retirement, or like, finally getting that new car you’ve been putting off for years, it's like, "oh but *they* need it more." And it's true, they probably do, but also? I worked for this. I really did. And my kids are grown, thank god, so it's not like I have that excuse anymore to like, hold onto it. It’s just me and my husband now, and he just shakes his head, he gets it, but it’s my mom, you know? And it’s like, I just got off a call with my performance review, like glowing, seriously, I CRUSHED it this quarter, and all I can think about is having to tell my mom about the bonus increase. Because it’s not even a celebration for me, it’s just another like, obligation. And I don’t wanna sound like an asshole, I really don’t. I'm grateful, I truly am. But sometimes you just wish you could keep some good news to yourself, you know? Like, just for a minute. Without feeling like you’re being selfish or something. Is that bad? To just want to like, enjoy your own damn success for five minutes without it immediately becoming a family project? It just weighs on you. And I'm just tired, honestly. So fucking tired.