The FIRST voice you hear is the child CRY! Crying for love, approval, forgiveness, existence! For love.

The SECOND voice you hear is the mother CRY! Crying for love, approval, forgiveness, existence! For love.

The THIRD voice you hear is the father CRY! Crying for love, approval, forgiveness, existence! For love.

The FOURTH voices you hear in unison are the voices of the eight other children CRY! Crying for love, approval, forgiveness, existence! For love.

The FIFTH voice you hear is the teacher COMFORT! Comfort the child. The precious child she says be still. Let me love, appreciate, honor, and respect you! You!

The SIXTH voice you hear is the mother TEACH! Teach the child. The best she knows and understands how. Let me teach with the food, shelter, and clothing for you! You!

The SEVENTH voice you hear is the father EDUCATE! Educate the child. The best he lived and lived. Let me educate you with books, discipline, alcohol, and most importantly by all my negative actions for you! You!

The EIGTH voice you hear is the Lord PEACE! Peace for the child. Peace through learning, reading, understanding, experiencing, praising, protecting, guiding for you! YOU!

The NINTH voice you hear is the sons and husband in unison LOVE! Love for the mother, wife, and educator. Love for all you have been through, all you have persevered through, all you have grown through, all you have brought to bear on the thousands of students’ life’s, all you have achieved in spite of it ALL for you! YOU!

The TENTH voice you hear is the mother, wife, educator THANKFUL!
Thankful for the mother, the father, the eight siblings, the teacher – that one teacher –, the Lord, the students, the husband, and the sons.
Thankful for all their love – the best they know how!
Thankful for all the experiences – the good and the bad – the best they know how!
Thankful for the education taught – the excellent and the appalling – the best they know how!
Thankful for all their love – they are me – who I was, am, and will become!

THE voice, THEIR voices, MY voice!

My VOICE – the compilation of the TEN!