It would have been nice to know

 Some people have the problem of their families pestering them over every little thing.  Your sister calls to complain that her car won't start.  Your mom calls to complain about a cat that keeps getting into the garbage.  Blah blah blah.  I suffer the opposite problem.  My family never tells me ANYTHING until days or sometimes weeks later.

I called my mom yesterday to chat with her.  My little sister's 30^th birthday party is Saturday (YES, she is still my LITTLE SISTER even though she is 30), so I was checking in to see if I needed to bring anything other that a present.  I tell her I tried to call my sister the other day but her cell phone never picked up.  So my mom matter-of-factly says "Oh, she had it turned off while we were at the hospital."

WHO WAS IN THE HOSPITAL!????

So my mom proceeds to tell me how she slipped and hurt her back and had to go to the hospital.  From her tone, you'd think this was no bigger a deal than chipping a nail.  I ask "Why didn't someone call me?"  She replies the same way she always does.  "Oh, there was no reason to bother you."

My parents are very active and independent people, for which I am exceedingly grateful.  But at the same time, they are completely INSANE!  It's both a good and a bad insanity.  My parents are fun people with a great attitude on life.  But they also have this notion that there is no reason to tell people about problems that they can't fix.  Somebody goes into the hospital for major surgery, I find out a week after the fact during a casual conversation.  Generally, I get a reply like "Oh, what were you going to do?  Sit at the hospital and worry?  I was unconscious.  It's not like you could have talked to me."

I have this recurring nightmare that one of my parents dies and I don't find out until I read the obituary in the paper.  I call my sister to find out why I wasn't told and she says "Oh, they didn't want you to have to take off work because of a funeral."

This is my greatest fear...well...that and zombies...but I digress...

It's not like I'm in another state.  I only live 45 minutes from them.   It's not like I work for tyrants.  My boss would let me leave in a heartbeat if I told her something was wrong with a family member. 

Maybe I'm just thinking too much about it.  Many of my friends have parents that are in poor health, and some have parents that can no longer take care of themselves.  I guess I should just be happy that my parents are completely capable of handling situations without the need for help.  But geesh, it would be nice to know.  At the very least I could send flowers.