Keep up at home

So I've had a bunch of different conversations with my friends recently about how I'm not really good at keep up with my family members, in particular my parents. I was talking to one of my friends from the econ department about how he calls home every day. And he calls his grandma every week. My professor even mentioned the other day how he uses his time walking to and from school to call family members. (This was in response to when I said don't have enough people to call to efficiently use that time. He then asked, "Don't you have like a bazillion family members?")

I've justified my lack of correspondence for a few reasons. My parents have a lot of kids already, and I think that the rest of them are pretty good at calling home. When I was still coming home for Sunday dinners, it seemed the phone was off the hook the whole time I was there with one of my siblings or another. So I didn't think my parents were feeling neglected.

I also justified it because very little happens in my life these days that is different from what happens any other day. I don't know what I would say to my parents even if I did call every day. Yesterday, I woke up, ate breakfast, went on campus, did homework [while watching football], and then went to a classmate's birthday party. I might have watched half-an-episode of Battlestar Gallactica when I got home before I fell asleep. And that was a pretty exciting day. If you subtract the birthday part, that is a pretty accurate description of 80% of my days.

I realized the other day that I had taken this to the extreme though. It was one of those rare days that I had actually called home and was talking to my mother. I needed to ask her a question, so I started, "Mom, remember how I'm going to Germany this summer?"

She responded, "You are going to Germany?"

Whoops! I guess I forgot to tell her that my choir is traveling to Germany in May. "Ah! Remember how I'm in this choir?"

"You are in a choir?"

Whoops again! I only really do three things: school, church, and choir. Somehow I have neglected to tell my mother about 1/3 of my life.

But now she knows, so I guess she is up to date. Sorry about that though Mom. I will try to do better. [Even though I didn't manage to call home today. It became unexpectedly busy from 5-11pm when I would normally (or not so normally) call.]