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Using a Wind Phone for Grieving
Imagine picking up the phone and talking to your departed friend or family member just one more time. You could say, "I love you," tell them you miss them, and let them know what's been happening in your life since they've been gone. For many people, this is a heartfelt wish, and in cemeteries and memorial gardens around the world, that wish is being granted with the installation of wind phones.
The history of the wind phone
Thefirst wind phone was created in Ōtsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, Japan, by Itaru Sasaki in 2010. Sasaki was a garden designer who had the idea while grieving the death of his cousin from cancer. He installed a phone booth in his garden with an unwired rotary phone and a notebook to hold written messages. No connection to a terrestrial network is needed to talk to the departed because your words are carried to your loved one by the wind.
Initially, Sasaki's phone was intended for his own private use, but after the 2011 Tōhoku tsunami, Sasaki opened it to the public to help the community grieve the 15,000 people killed in that tragic event. To this day, over 30,000 people have used that first wind phone.
Where to find a wind phone
Since Sasaki's initial creation, replicas have been built around the world – first in other parts of Japan, and then spreading to other countries like Italy and Ireland. In America, you can now find public wind phones in towns and cities across the country, including Raleigh, New Orleans, Staten Island, and more.
Often, wind phones are installed in cemeteries as one more way those places can help the bereaved deal with their grief. Cemetery managers hope that if standing in front of a loved one's grave is too difficult, picking up the wind phone and just talking to them in a way people are more accustomed to may be easier.
If the idea appeals to you, but you don't live near a wind phone location, you can create your own as Sasaki did. Whether you repurpose an old phone booth and place it in your memorial garden, or simply create a private space in your home with an old phone dedicated to that purpose, you may find it can be a wonderful part of the healing process for you and your family.
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