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For years, I remembered that answering machine message in my mum’s voice. I’d be

calling from overseas, back when every second cost a small fortune. Waiting for her

greeting to finish always felt so long when all I wanted was to leave a quick message.

While we were sorting through Mum’s house, bursting at the seams with buried

treasures, I found this little micro tape. It wasn’t working then, but when I recently had

our old family film footage digitized, it miraculously came to life again.

And there she was, Mum’s voice. Today I played it over and over again, and this time it

just didn’t feel long enough.

On the tape, I also heard a Valentine’s Day message I had left for her, thanking her for a

fax she sent me (yes, a fax!) and telling her I loved her very much.

If I could leave a message now, I would say: I miss you, Mum. It’s not the same without

you. How did we let so much time slip by? I love you very much. Thank you for leaving this

answering machine tape for me to find. I think I might begin the documentary I am making

about grief with it.

It feels like Mum and Dad are guiding me, my co-directors on this film, and on my grief journey,

And for that and more, I am incredibly grateful.

#griefandgratitude #familythreads #boxbybox