
This week's Featured Phone is in Lawrenceville, Georgia; Lisa Joiner and her son Stephen are the creators of this beautiful Wind Phone that is placed at a school for medically fragile children. Thank you, Lisa, for sharing the story of your phone with us. Weekly, I shine a light on the story of a beautifully created and placed Wind Phone. Sharing our stories makes a difference because it's in doing so that we connect and heal. To not cloud the Wind Phone creator's message, the format for Featured Wind Phones is to share their answers to the interview questions verbatim.
Where is your Wind Phone located?
Lawrenceville, Georgia The physical address for my phone is 590 Old Snellville Hwy, Lawrenceville, GA 30046. This is the address for Oakland Meadow School. Behind the school is a memory garden to memorialize our students who have died. The Wind Phone is next to a bench overlooking the garden.
What year and month did you place your Wind Phone at this location?
October 7, 2023
Why did you choose this location?
Oakland Meadow School is home to the most medically fragile children in our school district. Our students are severely/ profoundly intellectually disabled, in addition to having medical conditions that are not compatible with a long life. We have a memory garden at the school for parents and staff to visit. The garden seemed a fitting place to add a wind phone.
Is your Wind Phone dedicated or in memory of someone special?
Amy Connelly Dawson and I have been friends for many years. Shortly after she lost her Emily, my best friend Amy Lloyd lost her daughter, also Emily. I connected with my friends to support their grief journey. When Amy D started the My Wind Phone project, I thought it would be a way to do something for my friend Amy L. The phone honors Emily Lloyd Brookins, who was a beautiful woman who loved her family, friends, and the Georgia Bulldogs.
Do you have any advice for someone considering creating a Wind Phone?
It really helps to have an experienced woodworker on your team, especially if you want something beautiful and sturdy. I’m fortunate to have my son, Stephen, who took my sketch on notebook paper and used engineering software to design this phone. The most important thing, however, is to go for it. It doesn’t have to be fancy or engineered. The purpose is to bring some peace or connection to someone whose heart is broken. I hope our phone will do that.
I'd love to feature your phone! You can find all the information here to submit your Wind Phone.
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