A few Saturday mornings ago I was jolted awake by a phone call at 6:15. “Is this Andrea Gallagher?” “Yes, who’s this?” “This is Lifeline, Mrs. Gallagher. Your mother pushed her Lifeline button a little while ago and asked us to call an ambulance. Your father passed out. He and your mom are on their way to the hospital.” With a trembling voice I asked, “Do you know which hospital?” Somehow I thought this was a more appropriate question than “How is he?” since I figured she did not know. “No, I don’t. Their preferred hospital is not on our form.” “It is Lowell General. Please write it down for the future. Did you call anyone else on the list?” I asked, knowing my two sisters are listed on the Lifeline form. “No, you are the first person I called after the ambulance.” I was thinking, this is crazy, I am 3,000 miles away. My sister Carla lives three minutes from my parents; why didn’t they call her? I thanked the lady. She was very nice, and before hanging up she gave me one...