"The voicemail you have reached is currently full."

If you try leaving a message on my cell phone, you'll often get that recording.

The reason it's full is that I don't always delete the messages of friends and family. I love the tone of Mom as she practically sings out my name to begin her messages. I savor the softened, muted, sweet voice of my father checking in on me. I've kept several from my wife just letting me know she was thinking of me, and I've kept one from each of my kids so I can hear their voices when I'm traveling.

But sometimes it's in permanently losing a voice, that we are reminded through the voices of others how special our loved one was. Let me explain.