May
The Two Minute Phone Call
I make no bones about the fact that things were not well with the family who raised me. There were a lot of problems between us. It was in the later years that my mother tried to repair the damage and at least get us on friendly terms. As soon as she died, things went back to the old ways.
When folks are that far apart, what can you do? Communication was limited to calling my father a few times a year. Around Yule, his birthday, Easter, Thanksgiving were the times I called. I really did not feel like calling but felt obligated. Getting geared up for the call took a while. The call itself was brief and strained. A “hello how are you” kind of thing, a wish of happy birthday and happy Easter or whatever, and then an awkward farewell. On occasions my so called brother or sister would pick up the phone, It was a quick “Hello, how are you, is Dad there?” Not much conversation. They did not want to talk with me, and I had nothing to say to them. (Since my father’s passing, I have no cotnact with either of them.)
And that is why I am mentioning this thing. Others have the same situation, but they think they are alone. This is more common than you think, because there are more strained families than you think. Sad to say, but it is better this way than trying to repair the problems.
If you are one of those folks who has to make that two-minute phone call, know that it is not just you. There are many who do it. They have the same uncomfortable time as you, and the same clipped strained “conversation.” There is no cure for it, but it sure helps to know that you are not alone.
