 (Nick Galifianakis for The Post) | Dear Carolyn: Every time I see my mother I wind up feeling like dirt. She lives alone and seems to have lost (or never had) the ability to have a normal conversation. She turns everything back to an opportunity to praise herself. If I arrive with homemade muffins, she will brag about her own baking abilities, without even saying thank you. If I mention a friend who is getting divorced, she will launch into a monologue about how well she handled her own divorce. It is clear that I'm supposed to praise her, something I never do to her satisfaction. I get annoyed, then she criticizes me for that. She's a lonely woman with a boring, limited life. How can I let this roll off my back? — Annoyed |
