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My dad said something really weird this afternoon.
He asked me not to come over, that it was a bad time for a visit.
He's never said that before. Normally, I just quickly call home and let my parents know I'm coming. Sometimes, I just drop by unannounced. I've always been welcome, any day, any time.
This afternoon, I called home to see if my parents were there. My mom, whom I'd wanted to see, had just left for work, so I said to my dad, "Well I'll just swing by anyway and see you. You wanna go get something to eat?"
He said no.
Then he asked if I could come by later, maybe in another few days.
He was really polite and friendly about it. But I could tell his jovial way of saying it was forced.
My parents live 15 minutes from me. I'm lucky and spoiled with their accessibility. But honestly, I don't see or talk to them very often. I call home maybe once a month and visit maybe once every two months. Some friends whose parents live hours away or out of state see their parents more often than I see mine. It's not that we don't love each other. It's just that everyone in my family is fiercely independent, and I don't need to see or talk to them on a day-to-day basis. I'm just not one of those people who calls her mom every other night to gab about nothing in particular.
So to hear my dad -- whom I haven't seen in a couple of months -- tell me that today was a bad time for a visit had me taken aback. He said he wasn't feeling well and wasn't up to a visit. "Maybe next week?" he said. I believed him when he said he was ill, but I fear that his illness is both physical and mental. He's apparently been in a funk lately for reasons I won't get into here.
I'm worried about him.
Current mood: Concerned
Replies: 1 shoutout
In my family when one says don't come I found they really mean the opposite, its a pride thing (not wanting to be seen a state of weakness) or some weird test of loyalty or love.
Posted by Spooky Bob @ 10/27/2003 08:10 AM EST