I can hear you smile.

I love this. Last year I was so blessed by an organization that part sponsored the second reprint of my book, Brave Little Bear. The CEO of the organization rang to tell me over the telephone, and upon my response said, 'I can hear you smiling!'

This has never left me, and since this call I have pondered that my voice, both verbal and written is something people do see and hear with their hearts.  My voice is heard on  face book, twitter, radio, media, yelling (asking!?!? :)) to the kids to feed the dog/cats/fish/...  and telephone ( being a professional speaker I love to talk..wink, grin!.. )  but above all of these outlets, is the glimpse for the many recipients of my voice, that mirrors the reality of my personality and what shines on the inside of me. Voice is amazing, its like a string to  our mind, thoughts and actions. It often goes before what is hiding on the inside of each of us.

Only a couple of years ago, a voice significantly impacted me on the other end of the phone line. Our family were on summer holiday and we were all playing in the back yard (it was actually the same day I had a phone chat from Barnardos about my suitability for mother of the year) and I heard my husband, Steve, also an RN yell 'Quick Bern, call an ambulance!!' next, I saw Flynn our 5 year old at the time, laying in my husbands arms, unconscious with blood coming from his eye.

Being a nurse, one may think I would be cool, calm and collected- in this instance I was anything but. Flynn was playing cricket with Steve in the back yard and went to collect the ball from under an agapanthas plant, when he leaned to pick it up and a large rigid  stick from the plant penetrated his right eye, displacing his eye in its socket so it looked sunken. He had a small amount of bloody goop on his face and lay unconscious.

After Steve's yelling instruction to call an ambulance, I found my phone and called 000. The lady on the receiving end was like a family member I hadn't met yet- we were in a rural area, 100k from a nearest hospital and she talked me through what we needed to do, where I could get help, and helped me find out where a helicopter could land. Through this whole conversation, and seeing the reality in front of me, all I could think about (strangely enough) was that I needed to get changed! Shock...the things it does to you. The lady continued to calm me down, convincing me that I didn't need to worry about my clothes and together (with Steve nursing an unconscious Flynn) we manged the event, well...she managed the event and Steve did the nursing.

We were reached by helicopter some 25 minutes later, all the while talking intermittently to this woman from the ambulance service. Now, I think about the impact this had on me....we were airlifted to the hospital (and yes, I think I managed to wear the right clothes!! :)) and Flynn was miraculously fine. He ended up having a small scratch on the inside of his eye and went home within a couple of hours- it was a hugely emotional and uplifting experience- all in one afternoon, we saw our little boy go from unconscious to opening his eye and totally fine two hours later. I don't care to ever repeat the event, but am so thankful he was okay.

Even today, I still think about the lady's voice that helped me through this on the flip-side of 000. It was everything that I needed, her voice gave me hope, calm, control in the situation and ability to function, I felt her personality, truth and care from her voice.

I know this is an extreme example of communication, but for me I don't often realize just how 'Bernie' my voice is, my shine from the inside (some day's a little brighter than others!) when I go about the many interactions that I do in a day: - its all an overflow of what shines from the inside of me.

I had another encounter with a tele-marketer this year, a man from India. He had such a gentle voice. I explained to him, thanks and that I wasn't interested, asked his name and went on to wish him a great day. You know what his reply was? 'Thanks for not hanging up on me!'  I called back and told the organization what a great employee this fellow was. I wouldn't do this for any tele-marketer, but in this instance, I could hear this man smile. Another example is my Auntie Marg on facebook- I can read her hugs in her words!

I love the saying:  'from the overflow of the heart, the mouth will speak.' I believe that the best of me - the best of all of us, can shine from the inside no matter what our communication style or social media preference.


So...in communication to you over this blog, here is smiling at you kid!!! Can you hear it??!!!