Last voicemail
This is the last voicemail my step-dad ever left me. He raised me from the age of 6 months. I always found it humorous that he'd announce who he was in every voicemail as if I didn't know it was him. He passed away in February 2022 and I miss him a lot. Sometimes I play his voicemails just so I can hear his voice again.
I miss my Bubbie and Zedi
I started saving their voicemails when she got sick. I dread listening to them, 365 days a year, but the sound of their voice is my favorite thing in the world. This is my grandfather. He left Cuba for Miami with his children, as Castro was coming to power and became an MIT engineer. He would take me on grandpa-granddaughter dates all the time. From to science museums, the ballet, art museums, sailing, airboat rides— took me several times around the world— just, everything. But everything had a purpose and every single time I went anywhere with him, I learned so much about people and the world. I really don’t think I would have ended up a lawyer if it wasn’t for him, yet alone made it to America. I love you Danny, take care of my Bobe. I had a profound moment of grief the other day driving home where I really questioned if I was still Cuban without them.
Called to Hear Your Voice
This was a voicemail left by my grandma a few months before her passing. What I wouldn’t give to call and hear her voice one more time, the way she called just to hear mine. Having someone love you unconditionally until the end is a gift I wish I had not taken for granted so much while she was still alive. I hope she is listening to my voice now as I share this special memory of her love.
Called to Hear Your Voice
This was a voicemail left by my grandma a few months before her passing. What I wouldn’t give to call and hear her voice one more time, the way she called just to hear mine. Having someone love you unconditionally until the end is a gift I wish I had not taken for granted so much while she was still alive. I hope she is listening to my voice now as I share this special memory of her love.
Happy Birthday from my Nan
My large extended family always calls on birthdays. I’m 38 now, but it’s just as special as when I was a kid. A few years ago, I used to work really late, so I was often up in the wee hours of the morning. My Nan and my Dad both called at midnight on the dot, his call made it through while hers went to voicemail. I’m so glad it did because now I have this special message forever (backed up in at least 4 different places). She passed a few years ago, but hers is still the first message I listen to when I wake up on my birthday. She was the best Nan anyone could ever ask for. May her memory be eternal. And don’t worry, at the time, I called her right back and told her, she was tied for “the first” to wish me a happy birthday. 🙂 Love you, Nan.
Dad When Mom Was Away
My father recently died of cancer and my mother was away for work. They have 6 children who would check in on him and bring him food, etc. This voicemail was when dad called mom to tell her that he loved her and I (KerryAnne) dropped off meatballs for him and checked in. Mom sent me this the morning after we were all with him as he passed in his hospital room. I listen to this often remembering how supportive our family is of each other and it makes me Smile.
Childhood
Ever the jokester, my grandma would always leave funny voicemails for me when I’d come home to visit from college. This one is from 2013. Our relationship strained over the pandemic for other reasons, and with her now being in her 90s, reminders that we still love each other are less frequent. I’ve held onto a handful of these voicemails to remind me of that love. I know we still do. Listening to these brings me back to that simpler time. Love you GMA and GPA.
From Memere
My memere moved 728 miles away when I was a young adult to be closer to my cousins, but she still flew home often. When my baby was sick with a rare immunodeficiency disorder she came out to take care of him so I could work without worrying about placing him in childcare. She passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2021 and left a giant hole in our lives. She swore like a sailor and was the kind of person people just liked to hang out with. She made us all laugh. I miss her every day, and I wish she was still here to see her great grandchildren grow. Two of her great grand daughters have the middle name “Pearl” in her honor. Miss you, memere.
my own personal Ted Talk
my beloved dad died this year on 7/17/23. This was the last voicemail he left me, on 6/25. I'm crying a bit at the end, bc 2/16/24, the day i'm submitting this, is the first i've been able to listen. thanks for listening with me. we talked on the phone almost every day from diagnosis (rare cancer) until his death, about 9 months later.
