My dad (still alive) used to read us The Night Before Christmas on December 24 every year when we were kids/teens. I think he even did it into our early twenties when we would come home from University. About 15 years ago he found an audio picture book of the story where you record your own voice and it lines up as you turn the pages. He recorded himself reading it and gave one each to my sister and I. I still have that book and I store it without batteries so it won't get ruined (tried it with batteries last year and it's still going strong, but I'll probably record it on my phone at some point just to further preserve it). Some day that's going to be priceless.

Yes, do this immediately. Lost my old man about a month ago. We weren't talking (covid got weird) but I would give ANYTHING to hear him start a conversation with "Heya Bud" again

Sorry for your loss.

I recently lost my grandma and I cherish a cute video we took of her opening a Christmas gift years ago. She was laughing and said my name.

Lost my dad 2 years ago. Too young. I stumbled a cross a youtube channel where he would post drone videos he would make. There was one video a little over a minute long where my dad was explaining to my brother how a specific heater worked. He posted it there so it was easier for my brother to access. Its pointless stuff i cant care about but i watch it all the time just to hear his voice. The first time hearing it was such a gift.

This is a sweet thing to do, I have some voicemail that I cherish keeping. Voicemails and WhatsApp messages are something I keep going back to relive some moments.

My parents passed over a year, I still keep their voicemails

My father had cancer and so for the year leading up to his passing away I saved all of his voicemails. I did not realize that when I got rid of my phone, all of the voicemails would go with it. I thought they were on the server side but it turns out they were local on the phone and I lost everything when I reset the phone. Make sure you save voicemails outside of your phone app.

I have a voice message from Dad of him cussing me out when I had been admitted to the hospital (multiple myeloma diagnosis near kidney failure). I would make my girlfriend talk to him when he called and tell him I was asleep because I didn't want him to hear the strain in my voice. He had his own health issues and was basically homebound but threatened to "come up there and beat it out of you" if I didn't call him and tell him what was happening myself. Damn I miss that old man.

OP: back up that voicemail file to a personal drive if you haven't already: they often get lost in a phone move and may be lost if you change phone carrier as well.

I second this so much! I have some of my dad's recorded audio calls too that I can listen to. It is comforting sometimes :)

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*** And email it to yourself titled correctly.

It's easy to lose voicemails, changing carrier, etc. Record a video when chatting with them about stuff that's important. I'm glad I did with my father.

Got one from my dad before he died and I've gone back to it at least a dozen times in the 11 years since he died. Great advice

I had one saved for years, but my vm box deleted it for no good reason. Pissed me off

How many times are people going to repost this

Yes definitely might be a good idea... But again it can be somewhat not good ... Please don't get mad here let me explain!

Because if you have a voicemail or alternative of someone who has gone.. Then the voicemail which you kept may keep you reminding him/her and I think it'll let you miss the person more.. So considering this I think it's better to forget them with time rather than missing again and again