TO HEAR YOUR VOICE

Grieving and Loss

An 80-year-old man who thought he'd
lost the only recording of his dead wife's voice can hear her
again, any time he wants. When Verizon upgraded Charles
Whiting's telephone service, his wife's voice, saying,
'Catherine Whiting,' disappeared from his voicemail system.
She had died in 2005 and Whiting said he listened to her
voice every day for comfort. But Verizon had archived all
the old greetings and messages. Company spokesman
John Bonomo said Tuesday that a contractor found the
recording and restored it to the new voicemail system.
'I'm glad they rescued it,' Whiting said. 'I'm very happy.'



Just to hear you say your name
brings me comfort every day.
I have missed you so very much
since that day you went away.



You are just beyond the veil
and I know I’ll see you again;
but my love, I miss your touch,
you were sunshine in the rain.



But ‘til I am called back home,
this recording brings you back;
you speak and say your name,
for a moment, I’m not so sad.



© Forrest Phelps-Cook