Callers’ Stories (Anonymous)
“i pick [the phone] up on my morning walk along great highway, and feel immediately connected to my grandparents. i listen more than i speak, but it’s a beautiful feeling and it means so much that you created a space for finding those we’ve loved, and will love forever.”
“I brought my friend here at the end of her bachelorette weekend so she could call her mom who passed when she was a teenager.”
We’d love to hear your story.
“It’s been there for me with some obvious loss like my dad suddenly passing, but more difficult to explain to people losses like the person I was before some extremely intense trauma. I called her a lot when the phone first showed up. Which surprised me, and was so powerful. I have experienced such intentional and powerful growth as a result of it. … I am so grateful for the absolute majestic power of your installation. It’s healed and hugged me tremendously.”
“My birthday is Saturday. I'm going to visit the exhibit to commune with my deceased mother. Thank you for this amazing idea.”
“Thank you so much for this installation. I have lost both my grandmas over the last month, and talking to them at the ocean calling phone has helped me start my grieving journey.”
Two children had a play date. One of them called their grandmother who died a year and a half ago. Her mother cried from joy that her daughter still remembered her “Nana”. The other child called a sibling who was miscarried before she was born.
“We lost our son to cancer in 2020. He was an avid incredible surfer who had traveled the world surfing every wave he could find. He surfed primarily in El Porto (Manhattan Beach) but would regularly surf Trestles any chance he got. Ship Wrecks on Kauai Hi Boat trips to Maldives on and on…He told us we would always find him in the waves in his beloved swells. This telephone is genius & gorgeous. Its very existence has settled my heart. I have chicken skin. Thank you so much. ALOHA ALWAYS.”