windchime ritual

My mom loved sitting on the patio, smoking cigarettes, and listening to her windchimes.

For as long as I can remember my mom always wanted windchimes for Mother's day. For as long as I've been journeying back to her house to clean it out and kiss it goodbye, I have been bringing a windchime as an offering. The tree they all hang on was planted by my parents when they had the house build. These windchimes are filled with the wind while filling the emptier house with a song she would like.

When the house is put on the market, these windchimes will be relocated to the playgrounds of all of the elementary schools where my mom was a teacher for 37 years.

photo and interview by Jess Schreibstein. feild recording by Ryan Edwards