top of page

Day 65


For the past several years, I have wanted to ask my friend Paul Gilmartin (comedian and host of The Mental Illness Happy Hour and co-host of Dinner and a Movie ) to record my outgoing voicemail greeting message, but my cowardliness at making him uncomfortable has prevented me from doing so. He is a performer who has an incredible voice. I could listen to him read a grocery list. It is a crime that he isn’t reading the news on NPR.


As a rule, I try not to ask for too many favors. I have no skills so I cannot ever return a favor. However, since Constance passed, I have been the reluctant recipient of hundreds of cards, emails, texts, calls, and popovers from friends saying, “I wish I could do something to help.” Of course, they mean help with the unspeakable grief that is crushing my soul and making me crave the release of death. However, I have taken the offer of help literally in Paul’s case. I finally asked him to record my outgoing voicemail message.


Paul did the thing that amazing friends do. I asked for something and instead of dodging, evading, or asking a dozen clarifying questions, he just did it. He immediately sent me four outgoing voicemail messages. My name is mispronounced by everyone, including myself, so when he said my name perfectly, I literally jumped with excitement and grabbed my own head trying to restrain my mind from being blown. The first message was so perfect I couldn’t imagine what the other three were like. The extra three recordings were hysterically funny outgoing messages. They had me giggling while playing them repeatedly again all day. I couldn’t stop tickling myself by playing them.


It was so nice to have the diversion. I am so lucky to have such talented, generous, and witty friends. I don’t know what I did to deserve them but I am so grateful. I keep learning that the worse the times are, the more critical it is to have great people around you.


Paul made the extra voicemails for my personal amusement. However he's kindly allowed me to share the censored versions with you. Visit this post on YouTube to listen to them. The Want My Baby Back playlist is at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtlV5z8_vt9VzMJHZ9lohtdCIdXClX0i3. Thanks Paul. :)


3 Comments


Unknown member
Jul 01, 2018

Rachel, I hope that hearing those messages was all I said it was!

Like

Unknown member
Jun 25, 2018

Day 66 is at https://www.wantmybabyback.com/blog/day-66.

Like

Unknown member
May 19, 2018

Well now I want to hear these messages! 😊

Like
bottom of page