Dear Prudie,
A few years ago after my stepfather died, my mother, who has just turned 60, retired and moved in with me. I looked forward to her moving in but, unfortunately, the problem I foresaw has occurred. My mother has always has been an introvert. But now she’s a hermit and her world revolves around me. There are times when I feel like I'm suffocating. She cries at what she perceives as the slightest criticism. She often cooks and burst into tears one night because I grated some cheese to go with dinner which showed that she "couldn't do anything right.” She has become incapable of doing the simplest things; she calls me at work to ask if she should buy cucumbers. She's passive-aggressive and gets angry if I spend too much time with friends over the weekend, even though I usually invite her to come along. She even follows me around the house. I don't want it to be this way but I don't know how to fix things without hurting her. What do I do?
—When Did I Become the Mother?