My family have this habit of exagurating trivial events in order to create dramatic and a talking point.
Example:
"Ooo have you heard about Paul? He's fallen through a glass door and ended up in hospital!" Naturally I have an image of Paul smashing through glass being cut to ribbons in the process and ending up in A&E - turns out the real story was that Paul was on a night out and leaned on a firedoor whilst drunk which then opened and he fell over 🙄 He went to minor injuries with a swollen wrist.
Another one:
Mum: "Ooo have you heard about that terrorist shooting on the beach in Tunisia? Dave is there, can you imagine?? How would we bring him home if the worst was to happen? I don't think his mother could cope with the funeral and ... "
Me: "hang on, has he actually been caught up in it?? Was he on the beach??"
Mum: "well, no he was staying in a different part of Tunisia but still ... "
Another one:
Mum: ooo have you heard about lisa?? She tried to commit suicide! We're all so worried, we don't know if your grandma can cope with anymore of this ..."
Me: 🤔 "How? Overdose? Cut herself?"
Mum: "She was crying and put a pillow over her face!"
Me: "for gods sake, that's not a suicide attempt!"
Mum: "of course it is! She was trying to smother herself!"
Another one:
Mum - "oh god have you heard about the bomb at Manchester??? Cameron was there!!"
Me: "oh shit, really?? Is he ok??"
Mum: "yes thank god, he was there two weeks ago but still, what a close call!"
So now I've started just calling them out on it. "No mum that's not a close call at all, no mum that's not a suicide attempt, no mum having a cough isn't fatal phneumonia ... "
She's getting upset with me and says I sound like I don't want to talk to her but it's all this pointless drama I can't be doing with and I refuse to encourage it! AIBU??