Grief Resources
The Bell Gardia website features information about the original wind phone, a unique and symbolic structure designed for people to communicate with lost loved ones. Located in Japan, this wind phone has become a powerful space for grief and healing. The site also accepts donations to help maintain and support the ongoing work of the Bell Gardia project, allowing it to continue providing comfort and solace to those in need.
Switchboard, a website dedicated to death education, was created by Allison Stillwell Young, MS, BSN, RN, a graduate of Marian University of Fond du Lac’s Master of Science in Thanatology program.
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This is an evolving project that is frequently updated, offering:
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Educational resources on topics such as continuing bonds, wind telephones, death rituals from various societies and religions, the material culture of death, and more
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Guides on constructing wind telephones, with examples from across the globe
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A weekly blog covering thanatological topics (the study of death, dying, and bereavement)
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that assists with designing, constructing, installing, and maintaining wind phones across the U.S. This mission continues Lynda Shannon Bluestein's love of Wind Phones; she installed the first documented Wind Phone in Fairfield County, Connecticut. Please consider donating to Lyndda's Phones and their wonderful mission of helping those in grief.
Wind Phone Resources
Additional Resources
Five Wishes
When Emily was a patient at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, they suggested that we create a Five Wishes document together. I found the process to be both helpful and insightful. Even after her passing, I still keep it to reflect on her thoughts and wishes. I recommend looking into this resource for anyone considering similar planning.
"Five Wishes, America’s most popular living will, is changing the way people talk about and plan for care at the end of life. More than 18 million copies of Five Wishes are in circulation across the nation, distributed by more than 35,000 organizations. This document meets the legal requirements in 42 states, including New Jersey, and is useful in all 50. Five Wishes is written in everyday language and helps people express their wishes in areas that matter most — the personal and spiritual in addition to the medical and legal. It also helps you describe what good care means to you, whether you are seriously ill or not. It allows your caregiver to know exactly what you want."
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Grief Recovery Method https://www.griefrecoverymethod.com/