Is This Spooky

My mother in law passed away 2 years ago this past April and I've still got a message on my answering machine that she left the night that she passed. I threaten anyone who even touches that because I'm afraid that they'll erase it on accident. So no, it's not spooky!

I'd save it- I save messages from my husband and family until they leave new ones, in case something would happen.

When my dad passed away, his voice was on the answering machine at my parents house. When my sister from Texas got into town she changed it because she said it "creeped her out." That really upset my M.. My sister didn't even ask, she just changed it. Didn't even think that my M. might have wanted to save it. I say whatever you want to do that makes you feel comfortable. i wish i could still hear my fathers voice. You have a choice...we didn't.

Oh my yes, save them. I saved my M.'s. Listened to them alot after she passed. I loved hearing her say that she loved me and hoped that I was doing good. Made me cry alot but that's what missing someone is about :(
By the way sorry for your loss.
C.

I had that recently happen as well. I listened to my step dads message several times over before finally deleting it. My M. had messages on her home answering machine too that she listened to over and over for several months, then one day she decided to hit the delete button. Keep it till your mourning is over. Or like someone else suggested, record it to another device to keep forever if you think that's something you would like to do. I can still hear his voice in my head and don't really need a taped version. I'm sure you can too. But for the record, you arent crazy, you are normal ;)

Personally, I don't think I could delete it.

Sorry for your loss. Keep it so you can hear his voice whenever you want.

I would save it I would buy a little recorder from Radio Shack so it I could always hear his voice.

i would save it. I purposely have saved my last birthday messages from both of my grandparents for that very reason. I want to know i can hear their voice whenever i need to.

not even going to read the other responses!

SAVE IT, TREASURE IT......THIS IS FROM YOUR FATHER. My own dad passed away last October. I would give anything to hear his voice again. This is not creepy, this is not spooky....this is awesomely special! Rejoice in it & keep it as long as you can.

& truly, it's not any different than saving a letter from him. Just a reflection of modern times!

I am so sorry for your loss. I want to share with you a similar experience that I had a couple of years ago. My grandmother passed way 3 days before Christmas a couple of years back. Needless to say Christmas was super emotional for all of us. When it came time to pass out the gifts and cards, each one of us saved our gifts from her until last. I waited to open the card and gift from her until I was not around everyone. I wasn't going to open it until my boyfriend suggested that I do it. Inside the card was a handwritten message from her. I usually don't keep my Christmas cards but this one I will cherish for as long as I live. This card is very special to me as I'm sure that voicemail is to you. Hold on to the things that remind you of loved ones that have passed away. Sometimes it makes it easier and helps us grieve. I hope this helps you.

Save it! When my grandfather passed away his voice was also on the answering machine. My grandmother said sometimes when she was at work, or out of the house she would call her own house, just to hear his voice on the machine. The whole family also thought it was safer to have a mans voice on the machine vs. an elderly woman.
My grandfather passed about 8 years ago now, and I believe if I call my grandma's house today- I'd still hear my grandpa's voice! : )

I think it is fine, I saved the emails I had in my inbox from my sister who passed this january, and still open them to read them once in a while

I would never delete it... and I would feel very very sad if it ever got deleted or I don't have the same voice mail anymore. I am sorry about your loss... Are you ok?

save it! When my dad passed I went through ALL my undeleted messags (which was a lot for some reason) hoping that one of them would be his voice...none were. BUT I scotch taped over a note on a white message board he wrote me that simply said, "Hi A., Love Dad" so that it would never be erased. I don't have the board hanging righ tnow but I know the note is still there.

I would save it. I would give anything to hear my fathers voice again. I am sorry for your loss.

I would save it. I saved a message from my grandfather for months after he passed from lung cancer and one day, I accidentally erased it. I cried. I loved hearing his voice whenever I wanted to. I would save it somewhere safe if you can.

My mother died last September, and I have to say at this stage I would keep it. My father has not changed their answering machine message, and sometimes I listen to it and sometimes I hang up so fast because I can't stand to hear it. It's really up to you! It takes time to get past our parent's deaths. I still go to pick up the phone and call her sometimes. I haven't deleted any emails or anything she sent me. I hadn't even looked at any of them until a few months ago. A friend asked me to look up a recipe for her and I did -it was in an old email from my mother, and reading an email from her sent me over the edge. So, just do what you feel like when you feel like it. There's no rule that you ever have to delete it. I doubt my Dad will ever change his outgoing message. I have my Mother on video, and I certainly wouldn't delete that.

Save it! I have many tapes of my Grandfather talking to us. Would you delete a video of him? Enjoy his voice.

Without a doubt in my mind I can tell you to save it and cherish it!! As some other posters said, make sure you record it somewhere else though because your cell phone company may delete old messages.

Save it, save it, save it... When you're ready to delete it, you'll know it. Don't delete it until you know you're ready. It's not the least bit creepy in my opinion.

keep it.... take your digital camera and set it to record on video and record it... ~C.~

Sorry for your loss..... I did the same thing when my grandmother passed away. I saved the message for a little while, listened to it every now and again.... and had quite a few good cries. Then after a month or so, I deleted it because I felt I would never really begin the grieving process. (I didn't want to dwell on her death) I have great memories of her, and she will always be in my heart. Do what feels right to you. Good luck!!

My Dad died this past Dec and my M. got his cell phone, she kept his message for a few months then changed it. I would keep it for a little while, after a point though you need to start moving on.

I have the tape from my old answering machine that has a message from my father wishing me happy birthday - I saved it - its like a home movie (but only with audio)

My grandmother still has my grandfather's recording for when their answering machine picks up and I would never ask her to delete it! You tend to forget sometimes and it can be a nice reminder-save it!

Hi, A.

Save it as long as you need to. You will know when to delete it.
What a wonderful experience.
Thanks for sharing this. D.

I'm so sorry for your loss. Keep the voice mail for as long as you need to. Forever if that's what you want. You'll know when to delete it. My sister passed away and her phone wasn't turned off for a few months. I would call it just to listen to her voice. When it was turned off, I was sad...

You do what you think is right. I think you would delete it when you are ready. If you want to save it save it. If it gives you comfort right now keep it. Nobody should judge you and you do not need to ask permission. Do what is in your heart. You are greiving for a loved one so any memories are good.
God bless

i would save it. but there was a time i was saving a message on voicemail (for other reasons) and my roommate was getting annoyed by always having to skip through it. so i put it into the saved messages on voicemail but that still annoyed her. finally i recorded it onto a tape and that made us both happy.

save it. you will always want to remember his voice. the only thing is most cell companies automatically delete voice mails after so many days so record it onto a hand recorder or something similar. i lost the voice mail from my father and it kills me because there are times i just want to hear his voice again.

I am so sorry to hear that your father died! I hope you have MANY happy memories of him.

I personally would keep the recording....

I saved all of my mothers messages, it is sad to listen to them, but I love to hear her voice

I'm so sorry for your loss. I don't think this is spooky at all! Save it, by all means. There may be a point in time when you are ready to let go of this reminder of your father, but for now it is a keepsake of him -- just like a photo contains his image or a letter contains his thoughts and his handwriting. Just remember that it is there so that you are not accidentally blindsided when checking though messages someday!

All the best to you.

I'm very sorry for the loss of your dad. If it were me, I would def. keep it!

Keep it! My husband is able to save voice mails as sound bites on our computer!! Now we can listen to the Happy Birthday song whenever we want. Find someone to help you do that, if possible!

Oh, save it! What a gift! Your children and grandchildren will have the opportunity to hear his voice. That is so special. What an incredible age we live in that we have this opportunity!

Save it. My father died 10 years ago and I would give a lot to hear his voice again. My condolences.

OMG don't delete it! please save it, I'm positive you will want to hear it from time to time. I'm sorry for your loss,

I saved my dads answering machine tape for several years after he died. My stopmom left his voice on her voicemail for about 5 years. finally had to take it off as his business was gone without him so the calls had to stop. i would keep it. would give anything to hear his voice again

how lovely! definitely save it.
khairete
S.

You know these things can sometime soth the pain of losing a loved one...When my husbands Grandfather passed away we kept his answering machine you know the kind you have to push the button to record your voice...we still have it but do not listen to it.
If it upsets you worse then I would delete it.

I would save it as long as you can/want! I did something similar with Caller ID. When I got the call 8yrs ago that "it" was happening and get to the hospital, it was 3:18am on June 17th. A year later, on June 17th, at 3:18am I got a call from "Anonymous". There was no one there. I could never explain it. But I saved it on my caller id box until it died years later :)

HUGS!

I would save it...not spooky at all.

Blessings.....

Me--I'd save it. I'm sorry for your loss of your dad.

Save it!!! Sometimes voicemails automatically delete things after a certain time. Find a way to record it and keep it. Like record it with your camera and let it pick up the sound. Just a thought.