Identifying the Issue

After running around this morning, this afternoon I wanted to take care of the remnant of the lilac bush in my backyard.  I asked Daughter to help.  She did, but had an attitude.  She told me she was about to explode.  I had her come sit by me and talk to me.  She said she didn't know me anymore, I didn't seem like her mom.  She expressed resentment over the time I spend working in the yard.  She told me I was too old to be out there working.  She insisted that working in the heat would give me cancer, especially if you have diabetes.  She insisted that scientists had proved it.  

Finally the real issue came out.  When I'm mowing the lawn, I miss her phone calls.  I can't hear my cell phone.  She panics when she calls the church phone, the home phone, and the cell phone, and I don't answer.  She then worries that I'm dead or something.  This has only happened a couple of times, but it terrifies her.  I promised her that next time I would text her before I started mowing the lawn, and tell her what I was doing and when she could call. 

After addressing the real issue, she was able to get back to work.  We didn't get the job done, but I'm satisfied with the progress we made.