“I wish I could speak like you,” she said to me.

“You can,” I replied.

“No, I could never stand in front of people like that, but I have so much I want to say.”

“But you don’t need to. You already have a voice in the world,” I assured her.

“I don’t understand.”

“A woman with one of the finest singing voices recently passed away. She had the vocal quality of an angel and a warm, loving personality to match,” I said,

“It’s so sad when the world loses a talent like that,” she said.

“Actually, it’s even sadder than that. She was a smoker. She lost her singing voice long before she passed away. She also lost her sight,” I told her.

“How tragic!”

“But here is the glory that was born from that loss. She never lost her real voice. She said that everyone has a voice in the world. Not just the vocal abilities we’ve come to rely on, but the sound of who we are, what we believe and how we present ourselves. That “voice” is heard loud and clear and in a more lasting way.”

“I never thought of it that way.”

“They were fortunate to have discovered her singing voice on old real to real tapes. That will be treasured by the family for many years to come. But her voice that will live on forever is the sound that resonates in the lives she touched along the way. That was evident in the response of more than 300 people in attendance at her funeral,” I said.

“You may not feel that you can stand up on a stage and talk about your ideas and feelings for life, but everyday you take your place on the world stage and your voice is heard perfectly. Some have a loving, compassionate voice expressed through caring and dedication to others. Some will leave anger and pain as their voice in the world, never having the time for anyone but themselves.

Ultimately, if you are a person of faith, your voice is God’s voice in the world,” I said.

“I never realized,” she said quietly.

“Great orators will be remembered for what they said. Great human beings will be remembered for how they made others feel. Words spoken may be long forgotten. Written words may be tucked away in books, but compassionate work and a caring spirit is long remembered and woven deep within the fabric of life. It is the voice heard for eternity.”

What is the sound of your voice in the world?

Bob Perks Bob@BobPerks.com