My mom is loving and controlling. Yesterday, she went to a friend gathering and one of her friends started to joke about how some of the daughters aren’t married yet and are not planning to marry for their life. My mom feels embarrassed because she is one of the mothers of someone who is not married and does not want to have children (me). There were other ladies present whose children are also not married, but they seemed to be able to handle the ridicule. My mom thinks that my inaction in finding a partner makes her inferior and embarrassed in front of other moms whose children are married and have kids.

I understand her hurt feelings and I understand my mom likes to compare with others often. I am just feeling hopeless because I don’t think that I can do anything about it. Marriage is too much of a life decision and I am simply just not ready and I have told her that. I’m now starting to get worried about how she is going to cope in reacting to the seemingly harsh comments from her friends because she meets with them once every week. What if she comes back home (I live with her) and blames me for it again?

I already feel guilty and anxious whenever she brings up the topic, and I am afraid my anxiety will be out of control.