Salmo and District Hospice

01/12/2026

01/12/2026

Beautiful

I Carry You with Me, Always

I carry you with me always,
not as a memory sealed in the past,
but as a presence woven into my days,
a companion on this journey.

You are there in the pause before decisions,
in the echo of your steady logic,
your gentle insistence
that I not be so hard on myself.

You appear in grocery aisles
when I reach for the brand you preferred,
and in the quiet satisfaction
of choosing it anyway.

I carry you in my habits,
in the choices I make without thinking,
the songs I skip because they hurt too much,
and the ones I play
because they still feel like home.

I catch myself setting aside stories to tell you later,
forgetting, for a moment,
that “later” has changed.

I carry you in laughter that arrives unexpectedly,
in jokes you would have loved,
in moments where your reaction is so clear

I can almost see your smile.
Sometimes that laughter comforts me.
Sometimes it cracks the ache wide open again.
Both belong to you.

I carry you in grief, too,
in the way certain dates feel heavier,
in how silence can suddenly feel crowded.

Yet I also carry you in resilience,
in the quiet courage
of getting through ordinary days.

You are present in every step forward,
not urging me on,
but walking with me.

I carry you forever,
because love does not disappear.
It changes shape,
but remains a part of me,
always.

~ 'I Carry You with Me, Always' by Spirit of a Hippie

✍️ Mary Anne Byrne

~ Art by Olamik

01/10/2026

We are so pleased to announce that Salmo has its very own wind phone! It was just installed today in the Phyllis Tatum Garden behind the Salmo Public Library. We are so grateful for the collaboration between Salmo and District Hospice, Salmo Public Library, Mr Messinger and the 2025 shop classes at Salmo Secondary School. In addition big thanks to DHC Communications for the donation of the vintage phone.

What is a wind phone you may be asking? Mywindphone.com tells the origin story.

“The original Wind Phone was created in Japan by Itaru Sasaki while grieving his cousin who died of cancer. He purchased an old-fashioned phone booth and set it up in his garden. He installed an obsolete rotary phone that was not connected to wires or any "earthly system." Here, Itaru felt a continued connection to his cousin and found comfort and healing amid his grief. Itaru gave his phone booth a name, Kaze No Denwa (風の電話), translated as The Wind Phone.

The following year, in 2011, an earthquake (9.1 magnitude) resulted in a tsunami with 30-foot waves that obliterated the coast of Japan, destroying entire towns and taking thousands of lives. Many were swept out to sea, and their bodies never recovered. The city of Ōtsuchi is recorded with the highest number of missing persons. The tsunami's catastrophic ocean waves destroyed the town; its people were left in ruins by the tsunami of grief thrust upon them.

Itaru Sasaki salvaged his phone booth and relocated it on a windy hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean at the foot of the Kujira-Yama, next to the town of Otsuchi. He welcomed mourners to visit his phone booth to make calls to their friends and relatives lost in the great tsunami, hoping they would find a connection to help them cope with their grief as it did him.
​
The Phone of the Wind is a shrine mindfully created to connect people to their loved ones on the other side. It is one of the world's most powerful resilience sites. Grievers travel from around the world to "call" their loved ones in spirit, to say the things they didn't get a chance to say while the person was living. It is a place that offers the peace and solitude grievers need to work through their pain. Itaru Sasaki has inspired the creation of many beautiful spaces worldwide to hold space for a griever—one where the wind will carry their words to those they love who have gone ahead. “

We invite you to check out Salmo’s new wind phone behind the library.

01/09/2026

Our local funeral home is hosting an open house.

01/02/2026

Wednesday is our first indoor walking and coffee group. We are so pleased to have partnered with Salmo Seniors, Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy, and Salmo Valley Youth & Community Centre to offer this much requested FREE program open to folks 55+, or those experiencing loss.
Come for the walking.
Come for the coffee and snacks.
Come for the fellowship.
Hospice staff and/ or volunteers will be on hand if you’d like to chat.
Please remember to change into your indoor shoes at the main entrance.
See you on Wednesday!

12/24/2025

Wishing you all the best this season has to offer.
Holidays after loss are hard. Call us to talk 250-551-9270

12/23/2025

One of the things we hear from our clients experiencing grief, is how lonely grief is. They report that people get uncomfortable and gradually stop coming around. Their grief gets masked with “I’m ok” in order to make others comfortable when inside they are crying.

Being there, holding space for them to talk about their lost loved one, say their loved one’s name, and hold the memories close is the best way to show up for your grieving friend and/ or family.

The following is a good list of ideas when you’re not sure what to say or how to be.

If you’re grieving and want support, reach out.
If you or someone you love has received a life limiting diagnosis, reach out.
We are here offering support
250-551-9270

What to Say to Someone Who is GrievingCarol Ricks BowmanMost of us are lost for words when desiring to convey love and comfort to a griever. We want to say the “right words.” The truth is that the “right words” don’t really exist when we seek to express our support to someone who is swirli...

12/23/2025

So true. Holidays are hard after loss. If you would like support or to talk about your lost loved one, we are here. Call us at 250-551-9270.

💛 credit: Ullie Kaye Poetry

12/17/2025

12/06/2025

We invite you to stop by our booth tomorrow at the Salmo Christmas market (10-3 at SVYCC). We will have a wind phone booth on site so you can “connect” to your loved one and talk. We have Christmas decorations you can decorate in memory of a lost loved one and hang on our memorial Christmas tree. We will have a chair to pull up for a chat. Whether this is your first Christmas or your 20th after loss, we invite you to stop by.