EVEN WHISPERING HURTS

A few weeks ago I somehow managed to get the worst sore throat I've had for many years. After several days I finally lost my voice. I couldn't talk above a whisper, and even whispering hurt.

It wasn't too bad at work because everyone knew I couldn't talk because my job is talking to the public so I did odd jobs for a week or so until I could talk again.

But at home, the first day my husband came home from work and told me all about his day while I was in the kitchen cooking dinner. He went into the other room to read the paper and after dinner, in fact about two hours after he came home, he came back out in the kitchen while I was cleaning the kitchen and said "are you upset with me? You've hardly said two words since I've been home?"

Amy never picks up her shoes. They are always in the dining room. Our dog Buddy loves her shoes.I normally remind her to pick up her shoes and take them with her to her bedroom. Since I couldn't talk she found pieces of them all over the floor in the morning. If I remember, Buddy was smiling.

The very worst offenders were my two oldest.

My son called to ask permission for something and when I whispered "no", he said "thanks a lot, mom." And hung up.

Julie said a few words before she realized I had no voice.

You don't realize how much you need your voice until you don't have it. I went to the store and in a whisper I tried to tell the clerk what I needed. She leaned close to me and whispered, "what did you say?"