Every ring of

[Stevenloan]

A: God is bigger than whatever it is you're facing.
B: My mom is terminally ill. My heart stops with every ring of my phone. This just might be what breaks me. I have no idea how I'm going to walk my path without her.

- What does "My heart stops with every ring of my phone." mean in this short context?

Your answers will be greatly appreciated.

StevenLoan

[Erik_Kowal]

It could be paraphrased as "Every time the phone rings it instantly makes me anxious". The speaker is anxious because they fear that the incoming call will report that their mother has just died.

[tony h]

Erik is quite correct as it is preceded by " My mom is terminally ill."

I just thought it worth mentioning that "My heart stops with every ring of my phone" does not have to be about bad news.
EG
I wrote asking if she would marry me. My heart stops with every ring of my phone.

It will be the biggest order the company has ever had. They said they would confirm today. My heart stops with every ring of my phone.

Not very literary examples but hopefully they will fit the bill.

[Stevenloan]

Erik and tony h : Thank you both so much for your help. I really appreciate it. Have a nice day.

StevenLoan

[trolley]

I was thinking that Steven was thrown by "every ring of my phone". There's a good chance he has never heard a phone ring.

[Stevenloan]

trolley : Thanks for your input. Have a good day.

StevenLoan