This week I’m shining a light on a beautiful Wind Phone placed in Carleton Place, Ontario, Canada. Sharing our stories matters because it's in the telling that we connect and heal. Every Wind Phone has its’ own story and I feel it’s important that I pass on the creator’s words and not cloud it with my interpretation. To that end, the format for the weekly Featured Phone is to share answers to the interview questions verbatim. Patti Koeslag created this beautiful phone to support others in grief; thank you, Patti, for sharing the story of your phone with us.
Where is your Wind Phone located?
Carleton Place, Ontario, Canada
Our Wind Phone is in the Carleton Place, Ontario area in Blacks Corners.
Why did you choose this location?
This is on our property among the pines that grow here.
What year and month did you place your Wind Phone at this location?
October 2022
Is your Wind Phone dedicated or in memory of someone special?
My wind phone is for all who wish to use it. As a Life-Cycle Celebrant I create and offer ceremonies for funerals, celebrations of life, memorials, graveside services as well as weddings, anniversaries, and other important life events. I am also a volunteer peer bereavement facilitator in my community. And finally, I am also a labyrinth facilitator, trained by Dr. Artress. I have a labyrinth among our pines and a bench close by. When studying and reading about supporting our grief journey I saw an article on the Wind Phone a couple of years ago. Last year it came back to my attention and my husband, and I set out to find a phone. We did and my husband built the shelter for it. He supports everything I come up with and is quite the handy man. It is beside the bench near the labyrinth now for anyone who wishes to use it to speak to their beloved or anyone whom they cannot speak to in person. Two of my grandchildren have used it but I did not ask who they spoke with - that is the beauty of a Wind Phone. It is between you, the other and the wind.
Do you have any advice for someone thinking of creating a Wind Phone?
If putting it on your own property you may wish to create a system for booking people to ensure they have the privacy of the phone and the space. If there is a private area on your property it allows for more sense of freedom for people to speak what they wish.
Is there anything you’d like to share that I didn’t think of adding to this list of questions?
Sometimes the phone is used to speak to another who is not dead but perhaps you are estranged from them or cannot express yourself fully to them in person. Children can be encouraged to use it - they may talk to Santa, God, a pet that has died, or someone they love who is far away.
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