I think most of us are like that. With it just being my husband and I here now I can be myself, tired when I am and able to do things on other days. My Mom could always tell when I was having a bad day, could not hide it from her at all and it was always over the phone. But with her I also knew that I had to step up to the plate and help out. My sister has jsut as many problems as I do and even though Mom was in an assisted living facility she wasn't paying that part of the rent. She was independent. So it was up to my sis and I to do all her running to the store. When I am with my oldest daughter she knows when I am having problems and she won't let the grandaughters ask much of me. Of course it doesn't take much to hold a grand child and hug and read a book.