Pickles by Brian Crane for November 09, 2014

How rude on the parents’ end! Do they or do they not want their daughter to call more often?

I have had these conversations.

A whole conversation, not one damn word.

Gosh, we haven’t seen her for so long, I’d forgotten Sylvia’s name.

There sure is a strange family dynamic going on in the strip. Their grandson Nelson seems to live with them, but their (only?) daughter does not?

Maybe they’re mad at her for something? Or just so awkward they can’t express their feelings?

Wow! I’d call my folks and it was more like a police interrogation than a family conversation. Probably because my dad was a mad Hungarian psychologist.

My Mom had Alzheimer’s and the conversations with her were pretty much like this. She really didn’t relate the voice to who was calling and Dad was so involved with taking care of her the conversations were always very short. Keep calling, keep checking in, and know they love you! Remember, their world is no longer all about you.

Naw, it’s just that Sylvia called during Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy or NCIS or Law and Order or…

When my nephew was three years old, he wanted to talk to every caller. The only thing he ever said to them was “Bye.”

This happens when mom passes it off to dad and she thinks he will have the conversation and get all the details, he assumes that mom already did it. When the phone gets passed back to the last person they think the call is over…

Somebody’s been spying on my mother.

Hate to talk on the phone… Say what’s important and Bye.

Heck, I’d call my parents way more often if I was guaranteed the conversation would go like this one.

I just wish my son would call once in a while. HI is a long way from here.

I can sit around and talk about memories and people all day. When with friends and family we have a good time reminiscing. When talking to someone on the phone, there is often long silences because nobody can think of anything to say to a blasted piece of plastic…

This reminds me, I need to call my dad (who is actually my uncle) and my mom (who is actually my aunt), my biological parents passed away years ago, my mom when I was only three. Some people don’t realize how lucky they are.

“Nice chat. Went very well”xxx

My mother had a phone phobia – hated talking on the phone, so my dad did a lot of conversation relaying over the years, tho occasionally he drew the line and made her handle certain topics herself.

This hit home, but not in a happy way. sigh I hope my husband and I learned from our aged parents not to do this.

and I thought I was the only one to have conversations with my parents like this!