Every day we feature the beloved “Strawberry Letter” franchise that is so popular on “The Steve Harvey Morning Show,” heard nationwide. Send in your letters and Shirley Strawberry will dish out the necessary advice. Today’s topic: Ungrateful mother-in-law Hello Morning Crew, About five months ago, my mother-in-law asked if she could come stay with my family. She is nearly 70 years old and weighs over 400 lbs. She has become dependent on others, especially my brother-in-law who has been with her for a couple of years since his divorce. Because I love my husband and simply because I care about her well being I didn’t hesitate to welcome her. I knew it would be difficult because there would be two women in the house and because I have seen first hand the kind of love her children have for her. They wait on her hand and foot. So I knew that my husband would be spending a lot of time with her. However, things had changed drastically from the time we said, “come on in” to the time she actually got here. She went from being partially dependent to completely dependent. She is now bed-ridden. She can’t even walk to the bathroom. I have changed her diapers, cleaned her up, and put up with her crap (technically and literally). This woman has called me out of my name, calling me by husbands ex-wife’s name and has complained about everything from how small her room is to how many pieces of ice go into a cup of water. I have put forth an effort to make this work, but I feel unappreciated. So, I have removed myself from the abuse of her tongue and her ungratefulness. I do not do anything for her. My husband understands, but is hurt that I don’t even speak to her. He thinks that I should at least have enough respect to speak to her. I am so upset that she is so self-centered. I mean, she didn’t have enough respect to tell us before she came that she could no longer walk and that she would need somebody at home 24/7. It seems she expects our lives to stop and I can’t say hello to her without wanting to let her know how I feel. There would be an argument and I truly do not want to disrespect her. I don’t know what to do. Any advice?
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