I've been in a relationship with my boyfriend, who is 31, for over five years now. He wants us to get married, but my mother is opposed to the idea because she worries that he will take all my money and attention.

My boyfriend and I have been together for over five years, and I just got engaged this year. However, the biggest challenge in our relationship is my mother. In a typical Filipino household, she feels that I owe her for all the sacrifices she has made for me. I don’t mind supporting my parents financially each month, but my mother believes that once I get married, I should devote all my attention and resources to her. I don’t understand why she feels this way. My boyfriend is everything I could ask for—he has a stable job, runs a business, owns a car, and is responsible with saving for the future. He truly is the perfect partner. Recently, he asked me about my future plans and whether I genuinely want to get married. He’s been patient for so long, and I want to marry him, but I’m at a loss about how to approach my mother. She’s older now and is on medication for hypertension. How do I communicate this to her? What do you think I should do? I can’t stop crying over this situation; it’s been weighing heavily on me for days, affecting my ability to eat and sleep.