By Dick Dennis
Have you experienced the loss of a loved one and still have words to share with them? The newly installed wind phone on Bernheim’s picturesque and restorative Meditation Trail is designed for heartfelt oral communication. Those experiencing grief can use this unique outlet to work through their emotions in a private, beautiful, and shady setting, surrounded by inspirational quotes and character-filled trees.
When first approached about installing the wind phone on the Meditation Trail, Bernheim President and CEO, Dr. Mark Wourms immediately embraced the idea. “Bernheim is all about connections and connecting people through nature. Placement of the wind phone on the Meditation Trail is perfect,” Dr. Wourms noted.
The wind phone is a simple but therapeutic device, utilizing a classic rotary telephone, reminiscent of the 1960s and 70s. Those grieving can pick up the old-style handset, dial their deceased loved one’s number, and speak into the phone. The wind carries their words skyward, along with hopes and feelings. Whether voicing “I love you” or “I miss you,” updating their loved one on events, or reliving treasured memories, the wind knows the way even if you can’t remember the phone number. Tears and laughter are both welcome.
The first “telephone of the wind” was placed on a high hill in a garden in Japan in 2010 by Mr. Itaru Sasaki after he unexpectedly lost his cousin. Following the 2011 tsunami in Japan, which claimed over 23,000 lives, Mr. Sasaki made the telephone available to the public, and the concept of privately expressing grief caught on. The website Mywindphone.com has over 1200 subscribers and lists 169 wind phone locations in the United States, along with 82 worldwide and at least 15 more in progress. Bernheim’s wind phone will be added to the website. National Public Radio’s program This American Life featured a 22-minute segment on how people respond to grief through the wind phone in an episode entitled “Really Long Distance.”
The idea for the wind phone at Bernheim came from Melanie Salsbury, a part-time professor at the University of Louisville’s Kent School of Social Work and a Certified Grief Counselor. She founded and leads the Cave Hill Cruisers, an outdoor grief support group that regularly walks through Cave Hill Cemetery and other places. The Cruisers, through retired engineer Bill Bailey, designed the wind phone that Bernheim built and installed.
The Meditation Trail, a half-mile path opened in January 2024, is sponsored by the family of Lily Bannerjee in her honor and memory. It is part of the Bent Twig Trail, located behind the art barn and amphitheater, just beyond the historic silos. The trail features six designated areas to stop, sit, and reflect, each with beautifully handmade benches and/or decks for meditating, exploring your senses in the forest, or enjoying rest and relaxation. Signage along the trail highlights the contributions trees make to our quality of life, discussing stewardship, abundance, generosity, resilience, longevity, strength, and sanctuary, with each stop identifying a nearby tree exemplifying one of these qualities.
The wind phone is located at the Sanctuary Stop, a dozen steps above the trail on one of its highest points. On the trail, you will cross several bridges, both literally and figuratively. To paraphrase Rachel Carson, may the wind phone and Meditation Trail help you discover “reserves of strength.”
