Residents can grieve lost loved ones in Battle Ground wind phone booth

BATTLE GROUND — When Merlinda Sain’s 25-year-old son Bryce Mitchell died unexpectedly, she looked for a way to express her grief. Emulating a Japanese concept, Sain thought to construct a wind phone booth, which features a disconnected phone line inside a private space where people can confide their thoughts and “let the wind carry words to loved ones,” according to a news release. The wind booth grew in popularity in Japan after an earthquake and tsunami in 2011, serving as a place for people to grieve their lost loved ones. “To lose a child has been the most difficult thing life has challenged me with, and in those moments when all is lost, it is my community that has pulled me through,” Sain said in the release. “This space is not just for me to remember my boy. It’s about acknowledging how difficult grief can be and the intense pain it creates.” A candlelight vigil was held on May 16 prior to opening to the public. The booth, at 2311 S.W. Sixth St., will be open to all daily during daylight hours. Learn more at facebook.com/WindPhone.BattleGround.WA.