As much as our own obligations can seem to wear on us, they can also provide us with the motivation that we need to move through life. I used to feel bad for Simon's mother-in-law who acts as the hostess immediately after being healed. She was in bed with a fever, Jesus heals her, and now she's making them cookies (or the equivalent)? Yet I now see her as not only being grateful for being healed, but being grateful to have purpose again after being stuck in bed for so long.
I've heard many stories about people who have difficulty dealing with retirement. As much as they might not have enjoyed their job, it provided for them structure and a purpose. Without their obligations, they feel lost, and perhaps useless.
Perhaps our obligations, wearing though they may be, help us define who we are.