In a unique attempt to bridge the gap between the living and the departed, a Japanese innovation has found a home in Arizona, offering solace to those grieving the loss of their loved ones. The concept of the “wind phone,” a telephone booth where individuals can communicate with those they’ve lost, has sparked interest and comfort globally.
The journey of the wind phone began in Japan, where Itaru Sasaki erected a white phone booth in Otsuchi, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. This was a personal tribute to his own loss, inviting others to step inside and speak to their departed loved ones. The idea captured the heart of Amy Dawson, who, after losing her daughter Emily, established a similar space in her own life. She later created a website encouraging others to set up or find their own wind phones.
In Phoenix, the story reached the ears of The Rev. Karin Einhaus, through a member of the New Vision Center for Spiritual Living. Inspired by its potential to heal, Einhaus decided to create a public wind phone at the Center, offering an open space for anyone seeking connection with lost loved ones.
The Installation of the Wind Phone
Fortuitously, a member of the congregation discovered an iconic red telephone booth at a second-hand store, reminiscent of those in England, and quickly informed Rev. Einhaus. “He was at a second-hand store and he called me and he said, you’re not going to believe what’s here, an actual red old telephone booth,” she recounted. The Center acquired the booth, now nestled within a meditation garden on their campus located on Tatum Boulevard.
The booth houses a rotary phone, unconnected to any network, serving as a symbolic device for people to converse with their deceased loved ones. “It is to give individuals an opportunity to talk to someone who has passed away either to just have a conversation with them or to say a goodbye they were never able to say, or to continue a connection,” Einhaus explained.
Personal Experiences and Reflections
Visitors to the booth are greeted with a simple message: “you’re welcome here to connect with however it feels right for you. Know that you are safe here.” Rev. Einhaus herself uses the booth to connect with a long-time friend who passed away. “I often go to the booth. And going there puts me in a very open and vulnerable space that I can just connect with him,” she shared.
Community member Colleen Gerardi found solace in using the phone to communicate with her son, Nicholas. She described her calls as evolving from tender messages to more profound expressions of grief. “This outlet has been incredibly healing. It has helped me uncover and release emotions I didn’t even know I was holding within,” she noted.
The wind phone thus serves as a unique spiritual practice, akin to meditation or prayer, for many who visit. “I use meditation and prayer as a way to connect to what I call the allness of life and the realization that we’re all connected,” Einhaus articulated. The wind element, as she speculates, symbolizes the release and return of emotions, reminiscent of the Japanese origins where the booth overlooks the ocean, always accompanied by the wind.
Moreover, the wind phone fosters communal expressions of grief, as seen during group visits following memorial services. It becomes a space where grief is normalized and openly shared, providing a unique avenue for healing and connection.
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