The View From Here – Who Would You Talk To?

A wind phone has been installed on a trail in North Lambton to help people as they deal with grief.

What a beautiful thing to do to help someone going through so much hurt and loss. I saw this story and immediately loved it and knew exactly who I would want to speak to.  My mom.  And probably my brother and sister too.

I know, I know. You can talk to them anytime, anywhere.

But I don’t.  Not really.  I think there is something beautiful about being in nature, in the stillness and quiet, with a phone in your hand that just might help you have the conversation you’ve been wanting to have.

A catch up on all the things you have wanted to tell them.  I think it would be beautifully healing in so many ways.  And no, it’s not connected to anything.  There is no dial tone.

I was 18 when my mom, brother and sister died.  So much has happened.  And I know deep down that they are with me.  I feel that every day.  But sometimes when you are in grief, you are so busy putting one foot in front of the other, you don’t actually stop and think about what you would like to say to them.  Sometimes talking to them is hard.  But if you had a space dedicated to making that phone call to Heaven, or wherever you want to call it, I think you might find many people are able to open up in ways they can’t otherwise.

Who would you talk to if you could have one more conversation?  I hope there’s no time limit on the calls, because I think I have a lot of catching up to do.

The phone is located on the Ausable River Cut Conversation Area trail, west of Highway 21, between Port Franks and Grand Bend.

The idea actually started in Japan by a man  who had lost his cousin in a tragic accident.  He put the phone booth in his garden as a way to remember.  Itaru Sasaki said “maintaining a relationship with a departed loved one is a deeply relatable desire, but a tricky proposition. Because my thoughts couldn’t be relayed over a regular

Categorised in: Afternoons

This post was written by Carrie Buchanan