Leave a message and I'll call you back

I forget to check my answering machine. It's not on purpose, It's not that I forget I own one or anything like that. I simply get so busy it's the absolute last thing I think about. Unless something beeps at me, cries, babbles or speaks to me, I forget it needs attention. This being the case; it’s necessary for me to go through the old messages every once in a while to clear them off. As I’m listening I go through my mental checklist: talked to that person, called on my cell phone, oh no I forget to call him/her and save.

Yes we save some messages. Janna’s sweet three year old voice still sounds from our phone leaving a message to her daddy before she and I head out of town. More recently there is another one to me from Janna while she was hanging out with grandpa & her daddy. It’s says, “Hi mommy, it’s me Janna. Grandpa has a chainsaw. Love you, bye.” Even though I’ve heard it many times the thought instantly crosses my mind, is it a warning? Has he lost it? Is she seeking help? What would people think if they heard this?

Originally when I got this message I called right back – my hands were full of baby at the time. Turns out Janna was outside with her daddy, watching from a safe distance as grandpa trimmed dead branches he had pulled off a tree.

Since it still makes me smile every time I hear it. I press save.