Friday, October 4, 2013

One minute

One minute you are on Pinterest searching for meal inspiration to take to a friend who was just released from the hospital and you check your phone periodically because she said she would call you back later. You know it won't be good news. Texts from earlier in the day about an Emergency Room visit put you on guard. 

Meanwhile, you try calling them. Just to check in. You haven't talked with them in about ten days. You want to tell them about StinkBug's soccer goals about Peanut's piano lessons about Einstein's new found love of football. You want to hear their voices. You want to see if they will tell you and what they will tell you.

But the phone keeps ringing and ringing. They are in ever growing minority of people who even own a house phone. A year or so ago one of the kids finally convinced them to get call-waiting. You know they know you are calling. And yet no one switches over. Sometimes they still get confused by it-the switching over. They don't want to accidentally hang up on whoever they are talking to. They know you will call back in a bit. Because that is what you do. 

So you fold some laundry and wipe down the kitchen counters and check your email and FaceBook and you call again. It keeps ringing and ringing. You know they are on the phone since the answering machine never picked up. You wonder if it's worse than you thought. If she's on the phone with your sister or your brother. If he is making the too too frequent dreaded calls to the kids. The ones where he tries to put a positive spin on yet another hospitalization.

You leave the house because you have to and you wait for the news you wish to hell you didn't have to hear.



19 comments:

Tamara Camera said...

This made my heart pound. Please, tell me everything is ok... Or I guess you already know it isn't..

Colleen @The Family Pants said...

Thinking of you, mama and sending love. I hope everything will be ok.

Robbie K said...

Thanks for your thoughts! They didn't admit her for now & hoping it can be controlled at home.

WhacamoleLife said...

Oh I know this feeling and it's not good. Very real post, but very bad vibes. Strength and courage.

Robbie K said...

Thanks so much! I appreciate it.

Linda Roy said...

Hope everything is okay.

Unknown said...

tough post. That chronic over and over thing gets pretty wearing on everyone...so hard...sorry.

Robbie K said...

It is hard & made harder by the thousands of miles between us.

Natalie DeYoung said...

This is a very apt description of how this waiting feels. Ugh. Not fun, and anxiety-tugging. Hope everything turns out okay.

@dkotucker said...

*heavy sigh*

Sending Big (((HUGS))) and positive thoughts your way.

Take care. <3

Kristin said...

I can totally relate. My parents rarely make it to the answering machine on time...although they've gotten a lot better.

Hope all is well.

Daniel Nest said...

Sorry you're going through a rough patch. Hope it gets better soon!

Ken said...

The waiting is the worst, because we do this sort of thing to ourselves. I do it too. More than you would think.

The Dose of Reality said...

Thinking of you! UGH, the waiting is definitely the worst part!-Ashley

William Dameron said...

Sheer agony in this post. I hope all is well.

Farrah said...

I read this when it first blipped into my email. No updates?

Carolyn Y said...

It's the not knowing and the waiting, that it the hardest. I hope all is okay.

NJ @ A Cookie Before Dinner said...

How did this turn out? Are things ok? I would be a mess waiting!!

Kristin @ Dizzy Busy and Hungry! said...

Oh my goodness, I hope everything is OK. It can be so hard to have to sit and wait for a phone call to find out the status in a situation like that! But I am glad you came and shared with us at Wine'd Down Wednesday. Hope you will come back next week and hope things get better for you