Discerning between pleasing and serving

Serving and pleasing are separated by a fine line. For example, I thought that I was serving my mom by giving her a blank check every month without considering the consequences in my budget. Why would I do something like that in my own detriment? Because I needed to please her, I needed her approval, and I was terrified of disappointing her. It looked like I was being a good daughter, but the reality is that I was growing in resentment at the same time that I was disabling her. I created the false expectation that I could take care of her with unlimited resources. When my finances changed, I had to put her on a budget in order to survive. I wondered then, what's the difference between SERVING and PLEASING?