A few months ago an elderly lady from our meditation group dropped and broke her favorite cane. She was quite upset because it was her favorite cane and she could not afford to buy a new one. Being a wood carver I decided I would make her one.
This lady is from a Native American background and I asked her what her spirit animal was. Some Native Americans believe they are guided on their journey through life by the spirit of an animal. Her spirit animal was a crow.
This week I presented her with the finished cane. The top of the cane has a hand carved, highly detailed, painted and realistic looking crow head, actual size with glass eyes. Below that is a black suede braid around the shaft of the cane tied in a fancy knot called a Turk's Head knot, From the knot hung two black feathers with wooden beads. Below this, carved onto the face of the cane was a medicine wheel.
A medicine wheel is a circle with four spokes, and the four spokes divide the wheel into four colours, red, white, black, and yellow. The colours represented the four races of man, and the medicine wheel represented healing of the four races. Also on the face of the cane were her initials.
A medicine wheel is a circle with four spokes, and the four spokes divide the wheel into four colours, red, white, black, and yellow. The colours represented the four races of man, and the medicine wheel represented healing of the four races. Also on the face of the cane were her initials.
Because she was worried about dropping and breaking another cane, I also included a strap that she could put her hand through so that even if she dropped the cane it would not fall to the ground.
The look on her face when I presented the cane to her and her reaction was worth more than any amount of money. It was a great feeling to do something nice for someone who otherwise could not afford to do for herself.
17.2K Reads
- Posted by upasaka
- Feb 17, 2012
- Comments (29)
Readers Comments
Mester wrote: Marlena love - congratulations, matt and jodie! Matt,whenever you were clear about what you wanted,as a kid, you went after it,and you were a dirving force that kept at it until you got it. Seeing the tender expressions on your faces and what you were able to envision and create out of the wilderness tells me this is another wise decision that will lend power to your journey ahead. You look like a great team. Wishing you miles of smiles-marlena loveseptember 24, 2008 6:08 pm
sylvia wrote: The creativity and connectedness you tapped into are awesome! I wish (and i'm sure everyone else does, too) i could see your finished product. The fact that this dear lady now has her totem with her whenever she's out is too cool. And you have lifted so many of us with your wonderful story and glorious heart. Many thanks!
Spoonerism wrote: Makes me want to work with wood and be able give away beautiful gifts. That was very good of you to put so much effort and thought into the cane. She must have been over the moon!
sethi wrote: Thank you for the act of kindness.
kim j wrote: I send daily meditation text messages through my phone daily and today my topic was showing random acts of kindness towards others and this is a perfect example. Godly minds think alike, this is great.
happypup wrote: What a beautiful idea. How lovely she can have her spirit animal to lean on; and a gift made truly with love.
Arthur wrote: What a beautiful gift that must have come from the depths of your heart. May the light shining from that cane brighten the lives of those with whom she comes in contact and may the love and grace continue to flow abundantly into you as it flows through you to be an ever expanding blessing.
Sunitha wrote: This is great. Going into the details to make a lovely cane for her is really great.
christopher wrote: Thank you so much for your skill that give life and smiles on people. What ever we do that make people smile has an impart to the universe, i say bravo
Phyllis wrote: What a blessing you are to all of us and to that dear lady
For allowing the magic of crow to come through you to teach us all! May joy dog your path ;>)
For allowing the magic of crow to come through you to teach us all! May joy dog your path ;>)
