By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
With an old rotary phone in a peaceful place, Paige Suelzer has given grieving people a chance to say the words previously left unsaid to loved ones.
With the help of her family and fellow Girl Scouts from Bowling Green Troop 10799, Paige built a “Telephone of the Wind” and installed it at the 577 Foundation in Perrysburg earlier this month.
For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Paige wanted to help people who had lost loved ones to COVID or sudden deaths.
“I wanted to give them a chance to say the goodbyes they didn’t get to say,” the Bowling Green High School senior said.
Paige first saw a “Phone of the Wind” on a news program describing the phone being set up in Japan following the catastrophic tsunami in 2011.
“I felt inspired by it,” she said.
The disconnected phones are placed in pseudo phone booths, where any person who has lost someone can dial and share their love and thoughts with their lost loved one.
Since the original “Phone of the Wind” was established in Japan, similar phones have been placed all over the world. But Paige discovered that no such phone was available here in Northwest Ohio.
So she began her project by discussing the idea with Maren Simon from Hospice of Northwest Ohio, who suggested that the 577 Foundation in Perrysburg would be a perfect place for the phone to be located. Heather Gallant, the director of the 577 Foundation, offered a peaceful spot near the main house where people can have quiet time on the phone to say whatever they wish to say.
“It’s helpful for people in grief,” Paige said. But it can also provide a simple feeling of connection with those lost. “You can use it for talking about your day. It can be as simple as that.”
The phone at the 577 Foundation offers instructions in the booth. People can use the rotary to dial a phone number, birthdate, or spell out a name. From there, they can share memories, tell of good news, share their love or say words that had been left unsaid.
“The wind will know where to deliver your message,” the instructions state. “May you hear your loved ones’ voices in the wind. May nature aid your grief.”
One of the more problematic issues with the Girl Scout project was finding an old rotary phone. After looking at several antique stores, Paige finally ordered one online.
In addition to her fellow scouts lending help, Paige acknowledged that she needed to seek some more expertise when it came to building the phone booth. That’s where her dad stepped in to help.
“I’m not the best builder to be honest,” said Paige, who is leaning toward studying biomedical engineering after graduating from BGHS.
And her artistic uncle adorned the booth with paintings of ladybugs, dragonflies, butterflies and flowers.
Anyone is welcome to visit the 577 Foundation during regular hours to use the phone. For more information on the Phone of the Wind, you can visit thetelephoneofthewind.com.
