Breaking Bad News

Bill is house-sitting for his brother, Bob, while Bob is on a long vacation.

One day, Bob calls Bill to check in and see how his cat is doing. Bill abruptly and callously says, "The cat's dead, Bob." Bob is shocked. When he finally collects himself, he says, "Bill, that was very rude and jarring. You need to learn how to break bad news to people gently." "What do you mean?" asks Bill. "Well," Bob explains, "I'm still going to be gone for a few weeks, so you could have told me that the cat got stuck on the roof and you can't get him down. Then, the next time I called, you could have said the cat fell off the roof and you took him to the vet. And then, the next time I called, you could have told me that the cat unfortunately passed away. It's sad either way, but it's far better to break bad news like that." "Oh, sorry, Bob," Bill says. "It's no problem, Bill. By the way, how's Mom doing?" Bill thinks a bit and says, "Well... Mom's stuck on the roof and we can't get her down."