When my mom needed help after surgery, I thought asking my husband to step in would be simple. I never expected he’d respond with an invoice — and a lesson I’d have to deliver.My name is Lauren. I’m 37 years old, married.Right now, I’m the only one in my household with a steady job.Brian, my husband, got laid off about four months ago. The company he’d been working for abruptly downsized, and he was one of the unlucky ones. He’s been home ever since, applying to anything and everything, but nothing has stuck.In the meantime, he took over the day-to-day childcare while I went to work full-time.It wasn’t ideal, but we managed — or we did, until recently.Recently, my mom had surgery. It wasn’t life-threatening, but it was serious: a hip replacement.

Her mobility became limited, and the doctors were crystal clear: no being alone, no stairs without someone nearby, and no skipping meals or medication.Basically, for the next few months, she needed supervision. Not a nurse or physical therapist, just someone she trusted to help her. She required someone to remind her to take her medication, help with meals, and be nearby in case she felt weak.It didn’t even cross my mind to leave her on her own.She’s 68, and this was her first major surgery. She’d always been so independent.But when she looked at me from that hospital bed with tired eyes and that nervous smile, I knew I had to step up.See, my mom, Helen, isn’t just any mother.our kids were little, she took unpaid leave from her job to help us out. When I had back-to-back shifts or needed to travel for work, she stepped in without a second thought.