I'm not a Dr. Who fan, but the idea of a structure which could transport me to another place captivated me. The Tardig is our 'Time and Relative Dimension in Gardening' space. I often find myself lingering inside the filigreed oak leaf structure, sometimes in tears, sometimes in anger, always in prayer and eventually in peace. With all the worry swirling around me this season, I spent some time there today.
I did not know there was a similar place in another garden far away until this past September when I heard about The Phone of the Wind. I was washing clothes with my Maytag wringer washer and happened to have tuned into 'This American Life' on my cellphone, old technology merged with the new. The podcast was entitled 'One Last Thing Before I Go' .
This is an incredibly touching story about a gardener in Japan who has an abandoned phone booth in his garden complete with a telephone which is not connected to anything. He refers to the structure in Japanese by a lovely name which translates as the 'Phone of the Wind'.
People come from all over the country to use the Telephone of the Wind. The audio is heart-breaking. Even though I do not speak Japanese, the sound of grief, longing and anguish is universal and needs no translation.
"Hello? Mom? Where are you? It's so cold, but you're not getting cold, are you? Come back soon, everyone is waiting for you, OK? Eat something, anything, just be alive, somewhere, anywhere. I'll build a house for us. I'm so lonely."
As I hauled my laundry out of the basement and hung it on the line to dry in the sun, I was wiping away my tears with the back of my hand. Eventually I had to sit down and sob. I could picture each and every one of the mourners reaching out for one last word with those they loved and tragically lost in the tsunami over five years ago.
"Sometimes I don't know what I'm living for.....without all of you, it is meaningless. I want to hear your reply, but I can't hear anything. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I couldn't save you."
The holidays come and go and the group gathered around the table ebbs and flows as our loved ones leave us and new ones join the family.
How often I take for granted the time I have left with loved ones. Carl has a voicemail on his phone from his late brother, Larry. He cannot bring himself to erase it. My mother is a little more confused as each day dawns, but I can still reach her, touch her, kiss her, embrace her. Someday soon we will part.
May I cherish each day.
5 comments:
Karen, I think your TARDIG is wonderful. And the tale about that Japanese phone booth is sad, but a good reminder that we MUST cherish each moment with our loved ones.
Good post dear Karen. Your Tardig is a wonderful place to sit and be. I've been reading about not hurrying, and being more present in each moment you are blessed with. Your post is another reminder, plus the recent loss of loved ones, and the ongoing grief of the loss of my husband, to appreciate each and every day, to overlook faults, to love and encourage others while we can. To thank God for all that we have, all that we go through in this life's journey.
Continued prayer for you and your family ~ FlowerLady
We are Doctor Who fans in this house, and I've always loved your TARDIG. Thanks for sharing about the Telephone of the Wind in Japan. Yes, cherish every moment you have with your family. I need to get back to meditating, I think. I was doing a lot of it earlier this year, and then I stopped. But it was very helpful for relieving my anxiety.
Such a touching story, makes me want a phone booth in my garden too!! Hope everything is going well this week. Y'all are in my thoughts and prayers.
Oh Karen, what a beautiful post and story of the phone booth. I love your Tardig in your garden. I have never watched Dr. Who so don't know anything about it. lol Have a blessed week. Pam
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