A Rhode Island woman is turning her personal loss into a source of comfort for others.
After losing both of her parents within a short span, Melissa Devine of North Kingstown wanted to create a space where people could process their grief and feel connected to loved ones they’ve lost. The result is the Cove Wind Phone, a unique installation along the bike path in Allen’s Harbor.
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Melissa Devine has long found peace walking the bike path near her home.
“I walk this bike path all the time with my dad,” she recalled.
Her parents, Bill and Kathleen Devine, lived just around the corner in Quonset, and the area holds special memories for her.
“I talk to my mom and dad all the time. I always ask them for advice,” Devine said.
But after both parents passed away just a few years ago, Devine found herself searching for new ways to maintain that connection.
“Everyone can relate to losing a loved one and not having a place to go to talk to them,” she said.
Wanting to honor her parents and help others, Devine created the Cove Wind Phone. Officially unveiled last week, the Wind Phone is a quiet booth where people can pick up a disconnected rotary phone and say what’s on their hearts. The idea is simple: let the wind carry your words.
“This to me personally is something that I can connect to my mom and dad in their neighborhood, but I really feel like it has brought appeal for anyone that has lost someone special,” Devine explained.
The booth itself was built by a local carpenter using repurposed materials, including an old whiskey barrel and a rotary phone with no dial tone.
“Beautiful spot, peaceful, removed a little bit so someone can come down here and much like in a cemetery, if they just want to grieve and maybe cry a little bit, they’re in a safe place,” Devine said.
The Wind Phone is more than just a symbolic gesture. Devine hopes it encourages people to process their grief in a healthy way.
“I think a lot of people run from processing grief and in having taken this class with Hope Hospice Rhode Island, I really realized you don’t have to grieve alone,” she said.
Visitors are also welcome to write down prayers or messages. A local pastor collects these notes each week and reads them during a service, offering another layer of support for those who are mourning.
While the phone doesn’t actually connect to anyone, Devine believes it serves a deeper purpose.
“So I think anyone that wants to continue a relationship with a loved one after they’re gone, the relationship changes, but they’re still there for you,” she said.
Devine has registered the Cove Wind Phone on the national Wind Phones directory and geo-marked its location on Google Maps. She also plans to put up signs along the bike path to guide visitors to the booth.
For Devine and many others, the Wind Phone is a gentle reminder that while grief may change the way we connect with those we’ve lost, it doesn’t have to end the conversation.
For more information on the Wind Phone, click here.