That expression.....when we know better-we do better...comes to mind. WE have the opportunity to see how that kind of passive communication doesn't work and the ability to make changes in our own lives in expressing our wants.
Our mothers, many of them don't seem to have that ability to make the necessary changes in order for their feelings/wants to be addressed.
I often have told my mother that I have a lot of abilities but mind reading is not one of them and for her to expect me to know how she is feeling and what her wants are without expressing them is unfair. She has gotten much better and I have gotten much better at accepting she is the way she is. I have also learned to ask questions I would not normally ask, knowing she has difficulty in expressing her wants/needs.