What is a Wind Phone? 

The Phone of the Wind was created in Japan by its creator, Itaru Sasaki, while grieving his cousin who died of cancer. He purchased an old-fashioned phone booth and set it up in his garden. He installed an obsolete rotary phone not connected to wires or any "earthly system." Here, Itaru felt a continued connection to his cousin and found comfort and healing amid his grief. Itaru gave his phone booth a name, Kaze No Denwa (風の電話), translated as The Telephone of the Wind.

 The following year, in 2011, an earthquake (9.1 magnitude) resulted in a tsunami with 30-foot waves that obliterated the coast of Japan, destroying entire towns and taking thousands of lives. Many were swept out to sea, and their bodies never recovered. The city of Ōtsuchi is recorded with the highest number of missing persons. The tsunami's catastrophic ocean waves destroyed the town; its people were left in ruins by the tsunami of grief thrust upon them. 

Itaru Sasaki was able to salvage his phone booth, and he welcomed mourners to visit his phone booth to make calls to their friends and relatives lost in the great tsunami, hoping they would find a connection to help them cope with their grief as it did him. 
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The Phone of the Wind is mindfully created to connect people to their loved ones on the other side. Grievers can "call" their loved ones in spirit, to say the things they didn't get a chance to say while the person was living. It is a place that offers the peace and solitude grievers need to work through their pain. 

There are wind phones all over the world! Lakeview is pleased to join in offering this to the Lakeview Community!

The Lakeview Wind phone has been graciously donated in the name of Michelle Willson.  Betty Ann Pottruff and Kim Wilson write about Michelle, who died unexpectedly in October 2022. 

Our daughter, MICHELLE DAWN WILSON, lived from May 17, 1989 until October 6, 2022.  She loved cats, dogs, horses, concerts, travel, spending time with family and friends, and working with people at both paid and unpaid jobs.  She enjoyed being useful and helping others.  That is why we thought creating a wind phone in her memory is something that Michelle would appreciate.  The intent of a wind phone is to help people in their grieving, by providing a safe channel for communication.

Michelle struggled with some mental and physical challenges.  Loneliness, anxiety and depression led her to become engaged with friends who had a negative lifestyle about 5 years before her death.  Despite trying to break away from this lifestyle several times and despite the support of mentors, mental health supports and family, she died of a drug overdose.

It is our hope that folks in grief may spend healing time in Lakeview’s wind phone.