Aibu to be getting creeped out by MIL

[Sillyscrabblegames]

I've posted before about my mil using me as a diary secretary and communicating through me with her son my dh and the kids. I've managed to wriggle out of that habit which I found really stifling by referring everything to dh and she has stopped chasing me now. But we have a new thing.

My mil is now writing me letters and messaging me every week about her issues. All the communication is with me, she makes zero effort to contact her son or grand children, and the content of these messages is about her outings and visits with other family members. So for example she will send me a long message or even a letter one day about an issue she has or an issue family members on dh side have, and then the next day another message or letter will follow explaining how a family member has resolved it for her and her feelings on this and how we don't need to get involved.

I really don't get what this is all about but I know it's weird and frankly it's annoying me. I feel like she is clumsily using me in some odd attention seeking behaviour. Am I missing something. Is this a secret mil thing I was unaware of.

If my DM started sending ranty letters/texts about her quarrels with others I'd tell her to stop or ignore them. This is not a mark of being close to someone.

She is lonely, but yes you can choose to let her deal with it alone by pushing her away.

I think there is some truth in possible loneliness in this case.
However she structures her life around other family members which has made it difficult for us to do anything about that and she is too far for casual visits. For example, she will say we can't visit or she won't visit unless x and x and x are available so we end up with a date far in advance and these bug complex arrangements which just drain everyone and don't slot into the rhythm of busy family life, work, homework, etc etc
She rarely messages dh or involves him in anything, she always tries to do it through me and I find that annoying. He isn't the best at replying but he gets there in the end and he has a genuinely demanding job. I think he notices she doesn't share info with him as he makes remarks like my family prefer you to me haha but I can tell he isn't really joking about it. I do think there is more to this and it isn't completely innocent on her part and so I really don't want to get wrapped up in silliness. She is only 63 but she doesn't work anymore.

@Prevegen4U The poor woman must have mistakenly mistook the OP as someone she could confide in and be friends with.

But friendships take time and effort from both sides.

You don’t just start sharing things with someone and then assume and expect that you are now bosom buddies. You can’t force a close friendship on someone just because you are related

63? I'm 65 and haven't written a letter for years! all comms are WhatsApp, email, phone.

I find this behaviour odd, I expected MIL to be nearer 80 than 60.