A first for me...

I haven't mentioned this before tonight because I wasn't sure what was going on but I had a "first" last weekend.

My mom called Sunday morning to let me know my dad was admitted to the hospital Saturday night. He had been to the doctor and his heart was being monitored by a remote devise. He was given the monitor at his appointment on Friday and not 2 days later he finds himself in the hospital as a result of a Ventricular Taclycardia "episode." It lasted 18 seconds, which is abnormal and could have indicated a lethal outcome. He's been in the hospital since Saturday night. He has had every imaginable test on his heart in the last 4 days and they have found nothing - in fact they have only found minor heart disease which for a man in his mid 60's that is about normal if not better than normal. So he's home and back on the remote monitor and with medication he will be fine.

This was the first call I have gotten regarding my parent's health and it's scary. I forget that I am getting older and so are they! I also realized my parents (mostly my mother) still view me as a child and the youngest child at that. Does this ever change? My sister (who is 2 years older) was their "go to" person. She was the one they called to explain what was going on each day so she could then call me. I have to say it hurts my feelings.

Will they ever see me as anything other than the baby in the family? I am nearly 38, married with 2 kids, a house, master's degree, a good career, and more - but in their eyes I am still just their youngest daughter. Do they think I can't handle it? Do they see me as weak? Or are they just trying to be protective? I'd love to ask them this... but I know it would surprise them and probably even hurt their feelings so I won't.

Every time I spend time with them and leave with these thoughts I find myself feeling young and imature... tonight I even got a little nervous going in to the store to buy a bottle of wine. I half expected to get carded! Silly, I know.