My mother passed away in December of 2000. The pain never goes away, but it gets easier over time. I saw the film from DC / Warner Bros. The Flash over the weekend, and without going into spoilers, a significant plot point was for the hero (Flash) to go back in time to rescue his mother from being killed and eventually learn to say goodbye. I’m not going to lie; a scene in the theater made me tear up. The acting was great, and it definitely tugged on my heartstrings because, in many ways, I’m still trying to “let go,” as I’m sure many of you are with something in your past, in your own way.
I’ve recently learned of a place that offers a way to finish a conversation that might be difficult to do. A place to help you say goodbye. It isn’t much, but to a person that is having a tough time, it can mean more than you ever know.
phone in forest
About 4 miles from Olympia, Washington, stands a vintage rotary phone called the “Wind Phone” in Squaxin Park (inspired by one built in Japan around 2010). It was made by Corey Dembeck a few years ago after the death of a family friend’s four-year-old daughter (named Joelle Rose) to help give an outlet to people in mourning, and many have come to use it and chat with lost loves.
It’s a simple rotary phone, not connected to any telecommunication lines, on a board attached to a tree, surrounded by nature and beauty on a path in Squaxin Park. Park officials have relocated it and made a permanent stand and home for the wind phone, complete with a plaque memorializing Joelle.
“This phone is for everyone who has ever lost a loved one. The phone is an outlet for those who have messages they wish to share with their friends and family. It is a phone for memories and saying the goodbyes you never got to say.”
If you’re having difficulty grieving, maybe a trip to this park and a phone call will help. I know I’m planning on it.
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