I pressed the message button on the answering machine and, for all the world, heard my Mother’s voice saying, “Hi Brian & Lynne, it’s Mom.” My first thought was, cool, Mom left a message – followed immediately by the crush of reality that Mom passed away almost 9 years ago. The message continued as a voice distinctly not my mother’s reminded Brian of a doctor’s appointment. But those first couple words… while I felt like I was sucker-punched, Brian looked at me and said that sounded just like my Mom. Even playing back the recording multiple times, just those first few words – it was a voice that I hadn’t heard since 2008. Of course, I texted my sister – who then called and had me play the message. Yep, sounded just like Mom.
My Mom was an amazing woman. She was funny and smart, with a truly wicked sense of humor and had a healthy disregard for rules that she considered stupid. I remember a long ago conversation where she told me that after she died, if there was any way at all of sending a message back to us kids, she would. Maybe it took her 9 years (in our time…) to figure out what the rules were and how to break them. At least, I like to think that’s what happened.
So, on this day when we celebrate our Mothers, Thanks Mom – message received! I miss you, too.
very nice. i miss my mom too