A Voice From the Past

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“Would I rather be feared or loved? Um…Easy, both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me.” – Michael Scott

On the first weekend of August, Seattle holds its Seafair festival. There’s a parade downtown, the Blue Angels do their airshow and at the center of the activity is the hydroplane races on Lake Washington. Most summers my brother hosts an outing on his boat to watch the Blue Angels fly. The featured photo is a picture I took from my brother’s boat this summer of the Blue Angels.

When my dad was alive and we were together watching, I’d make him recount the story of watching the first Seafair hydroplane race in Seattle when he was 15 or 16 years old. It was one of my favorite stories that Dad told.

So in light of this week of the anniversary of my dad’s death and of talking with Troy about writing about him, I put together this audio recording of my dad telling this story. It’s rough, informal and short (five minutes) – just a recording I made of him on my voice app but for anyone who loves my dad’s humor cards I feature on Sunday Funnies and is curious to hear his voice, here it is: Wynne Leon on Recording Your Loved Ones

46 thoughts on “A Voice From the Past”

  1. What a lovely way to pay tribute to your father. I sometimes try to remember what my father’s voice sounded like, but I was a teenager when he died and I cannot conjure it in my mind. Treasure what you have here, eh?

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  2. How lovely to hear his voice! And…what you’re doing, sharing him with us…it reminds me of Story Corps and loving recordings, remembrances. I think you’re on to something here, Wynne! Share more snippets anytime. As Ally said, I’d love to hear my father’s voice…but so hard to summon. What treasures you have in your recordings. ❤ xo!

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  3. I can understand why people keep final voicemail messages from those they have lost. I wish I could hear my dad’s voice again. I don’t remember it at all.

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  5. Blessed hearing you and your Dad’s voices Wynne.
    Regret I didn’t have your foresight to record my Mom’s voice before she went Home.
    Rejoice looking forward to that Day when all our voices will sing in unison forever before Him.
    Thanks Wynne.

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    1. Ah, what a beautiful vision, Fred. Yes, it’s such a treasure to have these recordings but harder than imagine to get out the voice app to do. Thank you, Fred! ❤️❤️❤️

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  6. Only in the past few years have I been able to even read the hand-written letters my dad sent me in college and beyond. Still hard to watch videos of family events where it is possible to hear his voice. I can still hear it in my mind and dreams for now. I hope I’ll get to the point of watching the videos…. I keep a few of his fencing medals, photo, and Olympic baseball cap on my writing desk.You are very lucky to have this, Wynne.

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    1. Oh, it sounds like you have a treasure trove. Isn’t it funny how 7 years seems like forever and like yesterday? Losing them unexpectedly is hard! ❤️❤️❤️

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      1. I do not feel the 7 years at all, maybe 4? I l”lost” a few years of my mental timeline due to PTSD. So I still have a hard time feeling the passage of time, particularly emotionally-charged events. My family members have gotten used to my date “mixups”. It’s very hard to describe to others, but during the COVID lockdown many people seemed to experience this which made me feel less alone.

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      2. How interesting that the pandemic changed our sense of time but loved that it provided some temporal company for you. I think life is always teaching us that which seems solid is so much less so. Blessings to you, Evelyn.

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  8. It’s nice that I listened to the podcast before reading it and I recognized immediately what your post was about. I don’t know why, but I am smiling now, while writing this comment 🙂

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  10. What a treasure you have here Wynne. I love your dad’s voice and the way he weaves a story. No wonder you’re such an amazing writer. I remember listening to my dad’s voice on phone messages he left me before he died, always funny and loving, he would scold me for not answering the phone when he knew I was teaching a class. Loved that man to the moon and back. Hugs, C

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  12. Wonderful, Wynne. Many of those I treated didn’t think to make such a recording. Even among my friends, I heard them say it was easier just to wait, thinking their parents would be uncomfortable when the truth was they were not admitting their own discomfort.

    All this is like talking about a will and the need to put their posthumous intentions in writing. Not just theirs, but ours, too.

    Since I was an interviewer in the form of a clinical psychologist, this was easy for me. My dad came from Florida for the unexpected death of his youngest brother. As I drove him to the airport after the formal requirements were done, I asked him if he’d be up for my recording his videotaped oral history. He agreed immediately.

    We both knew what that meant, an acknowledgment of his likely demise before mine. And he knew I wanted to retain something of him and pass it down to my children and then my yet imaginary grandchildren. We accomplished it back in the mid-1980s when he was in his mid-seventies, still the benefactor of an astonishing memory. Two hours on each two Saturdays, four hours in total.

    Beyond the human lives of those I love, I have nothing more precious.

    You will get past whatever pain remains, Wynne, though you will never stop missing him. Both are guaranteed.

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    1. I love how your professional skills came together with the reminder of mortality and your wisdom to make this happen. I hadn’t thought of the fact that doing this was an acknowledgement of the circle of life but of course it is. Thank you so much for sharing the story about how recordings came to pass with your dad.

      And I love your statement, “Beyond the human lives of those I love, I have nothing more precious.” Well said, my friend! Beautiful and powerful!!

      I know you’re right – that I’ll never stop missing him and I’m really okay with that. It’s my reminder about how much he meant to me!

      A deep comment that makes me feel seen in my experience. Thank you, Dr. Stein!

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  13. Wynne, it’s lovely to hear your voice. It’s not how I imagined it but it is equally filled with warmth and friendliness as I’d imagine it.

    And what a gift for you to have this time capsule forever of your dad sharing a wonderful story. I only wish I had the foresight to do the same with my dad.

    What great advice you share with others to record their stories of their loved ones while they are able to do so!

    Look forward to more of your podcasts. You have a gift for this.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. What a lovely gift of a comment, Ab. Thank you – I’m so glad that you enjoyed my little recording of a recording. The one great thing about technology continuing to evolve is that it gets easier and easier to do things like record our loved ones.

      Hope you all have a great weekend! XOXO

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  14. How nice that your children will have your voice forever on your podcasts! Thank you for sharing this lovely story and your father’s voice. And BTW, aren’t the Blue Angels a spectacular sight?

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  16. Thank you for sharing your podcast and memories of your father!!.. his, and yours, memory will live forever and I know he is very proud of you and with you always!!.. 🙂

    When tomorrow starts without me
    And I’m not here to see,
    If the sun should rise and find your eyes
    Filled with tears for me.

    I wish so much you wouldn’t cry
    The way you did today,
    While thinking of the many things
    We didn’t get to say.

    I know how much you love me
    As much as I love you,
    And each time you think of me
    I know you’ll miss me too.

    When tomorrow starts without me
    Don’t think we’re far apart,
    For every time you think of me
    I’m right there in your heart.
    (Alena Hakala Meadows)

    Until we meet again…
    May love and laughter light your days,
    and warm your heart and home.
    May good and faithful friends be yours,
    wherever you may roam.
    May peace and plenty bless your world
    with joy that long endures.
    May all life’s passing seasons
    bring the best to you and yours!
    (Irish Saying)

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    1. Thank you, Mary! Yes, that festival is over 70 years old by now so I’m not sure I’d think to research it except for my dad. Hope you are enjoying the weekend.

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    1. Oh, thank you for this comment and trying to listen. If you are interested, you can search for the Wise and Shine podcast on Spotify and it should be listed there. Thank you for the comment! ❤

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