MY MOM--"OH BY THE WAY!"

       Usually while talking to my mom years ago on the telephone she would talk about various subjects in a nonchalant basis then out of nowhere would come the --"Oh, by the way" phrase, and, I knew it would be followed by something bad.

         That phrase would be followed by-- "So and so just passed away" or something else of a very bad nature. Why or how she she could hold on to such sad news until later in a conversation always perplexed me to a certain extent. With me and knowing such news I have to get it  out immediately!