Healing Grief: How an Old Phone Provides Comfort in Arizona

Struggling With Grief and Loss

When my dear friend and former radio partner passed away suddenly this year, I tumbled into a spiral of grief. He wasn't just a colleague; he was my best friend.

A few years before he passed, he moved to another state. Despite the distance, we still connected three or four times a week. Our telephone calls could last five minutes or two hours. Two radio people rarely run out of things to say.

He was the person I called when I needed professional advice or wanted to vent. That's the thing about best friends. You don't have to tell the back story; you can jump in right where you left off, and there's a sense of peace in that energy.

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When he died suddenly, my heart and mind didn't know where to go. Who else could I talk to about the quirks of the shared characters in our lives, the current events, or the little issues and problems that sprang up?

READ: What You Need To Know: Arizona's New Human Composting Law

What Are Wind Phones?

It's funny how you suddenly understand the world differently when you lose someone important to you. My heart has been searching for a place to land in the darkness of grief. A few days ago, I encountered a phenomenon quietly spreading across Arizona, the nation, and the world. This may be the light I've been seeking, and I think it could help others.

Wind Phones, or Kaze no Denwa in Japanese, where they were first used, are old telephones or payphones set up to help people cope with grief. They are often placed in nature and offer a way to “call” a deceased loved one.

Typically, these old-fashioned rotary or push-button phones are in secluded, serene locations like gardens or parks.

Don't expect a dial tone when you pick up the phone. The phone lines aren't connected, but they allow users to have one-way conversations with those they’ve lost. Imagine having one last chance to express thoughts and feelings left unsaid.

READ: How to Plan for Your Pets if You Die Before They Do in Arizona

For some, the whole idea seemed a little ridiculous at first, but many who've used the wind phones say they've found the experience healing.

Where Did the Idea for the Wind Phone Start?

The idea began in 2010 in Otsuchi, Japan when Itaru Sasaki created it. Sasaki built the first Wind Phone in his garden to help him cope with losing his cousin. When the devastating earthquake and tsunami hit Japan in 2011, people flocked to the Wind Phone as a way to heal the pain of loss.

Finding a Wind Phone in Arizona

Arizona has a few Wind Phones scattered in gardens and public parks across the state. If you're interested in finding one, it won't cost you anything but your time. There are currently four wind phones in Arizona:

• Green Valley on the De Anza Trail
• Phoenix at the New Vision Center for Spiritual Living
• Tucson at Tu Nidito
• Wickenberg in the Hassayampa River Preserve

Some locations have specific hours and days set aside for visiting the phones. For the complete list, check out the website MyWindphone.com to find the wind phone closest to you.  

Sources: My Wind Phone | Smithsonian Magazine | New Vision Center for Spiritual Living