Tonight, without any prompting from me, my mother gave me three full boxes of my Dad’s cassette tape recordings. Some are his original music, some are recordings from various Spanish stations, all of them are memory.
I’ve been given a treasure trove of my father’s memories.
I have access to a part of soul, I can guess what he felt, I can reach for his motivation and thinking — Why did he record this and not this other thing over here? He was interested in this? Wow, I didn’t know this!
This is a big deal for me, as my parents have had nothing to do with the Facebook era. No statii on various posts, no 140-character thoughts.
Dad ebbed into the silence, and now I’ve been given the memory of his voice. … I’m still processing this. But I know it’s a magnificent thing. Thank you, Mom.
***
Why did he record so much? Was he lonely?
– No, Mom, he was alive. And making memories for us.
But there’s so much.
– That’s because he had so much to say. This was his language, a part of his soul.
… On Why Recording Your Thoughts is so Important.
I'll Give You All This And More 
What a gift! Lucky you!! I am sure that all sorts of emotions will stir as you look and listen. Just seeing his writing on the tapes…how is your mother? Be well. Bon courage!
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Yes! I can listen to them — it’s my sister who has to pick a time and a place.. be ready. I will pass on your sweet wishes for courage to her.
Mom is comforted I spent so much time with her — I will be doing this again and again, as often as I can.
Well wishes and love to you, Maribeth!
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Live without regrets, that way you can sleep each night knowing you did all that you could, all that was necessary, the way a loving child should.
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Veronica, I hope you keep posting on what your Dad’s tapes reveal to you! What an enormous gift! I lost my dad in 2009 and I can’t imagine how wonderful it would be to have access to something this powerful. The closest I’ve come is meeting people who used to work with him, or bowled with him – It is this tiny moment of almost being able to touch the other side… but nothing as wonderful as your tapes… Have a great journey with your dad! Keep us posted!
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I will! I have a notebook ready to write my reactions — and I will invite my daughter, who was moved by her own unexpected cries from 19 years ago! Dad recorded her when she was 8 days old, such a precious memory!
Thank you, S!
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