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Smiled through a whole baby shower while my mom's health news was all I could think about
My friend's party was in Sacramento last Saturday, and I was laughing with everyone. Inside, I was just waiting for a call from the doctor about my mom's test results, which took three days to finally come back clear. How do you act normal when you're scared like that?
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victor_robinson28d ago
You ever try to make small talk while your brain is screaming at you? I've been there. Best thing I learned is to keep your hands busy. Offer to refill drinks, help with the dishes, anything that lets you move around and not just sit there smiling. Gives you an excuse to step out for a second and breathe. Also, I found it helps to pick one person to talk to instead of floating around the room. Less energy pretending, more focus on one conversation. And yeah, three days of waiting is brutal. Glad it worked out for your mom.
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valellis2mo ago
Had a work dinner once where my boss was telling a long story, and my phone was blowing up with texts about a flooded basement. Just kept nodding and saying "wow" while mentally pricing out water damage. The disconnect is real.
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spencer7822mo ago
That must have been so hard to sit through. Read something once about how our brains can sort of run on autopilot during social stuff when we're dealing with a crisis. You just go through the motions, smile and nod, while the real stuff is on a loop in your head. Makes you wonder how many people in a room are doing that exact thing at any given time. Really glad to hear the results came back clear for your mom.
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Yeah, you just put on the mask. I remember doing that at my nephew's birthday last year when my dog was at the emergency vet. You laugh when you're supposed to, but your mind is a thousand miles away. It's a weird kind of tired when you finally get the good news and can stop pretending.
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