If you haven't heard of the game 'Chinese whispers', it is a game consisting of three or more players. One person whispers a message to another player, and they in turn whisper that message to the next player, and so on. At the end of the game, the original and final message is compared.
I have a milestone birthday next week, and my mother had recently told me that her sisters had been asking her what I would like. I told her that I didn't know. Also, aside from actively trying not to think about my impending 'offensively-numbered' birthday, it's been years since I last assumed that having a birthday would automatically result in me receiving gifts and/or cards.
After mulling it over, I had messaged my mother. I had made it clear that my message was on the topic of my forthcoming birthday, and to feel free to forward it to my aunts. In the message, I stated I had no expectations and didn't want my aunts to feel obligated into spending their money on me.
The following day, my mother phoned and left a message confirming that she had passed on what I'd said, but in her own words. It would seem she had interpreted my message as me saying, "Please don't send me gifts and/or cards again... ever!" Whilst that wasn't quite what I had said, I didn't have the energy to contact my mother and correct her.
I commented to my son that communication with my mother reminds me of the game 'Chinese whispers'. Irrespective of whether information is given to her verbally, or in written form, it seems my mother just cannot be trusted to convey it accurately... unless it's information that is completely irrelevant to the person she's talking to. 
