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.
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- Posted by upasaka
- Feb 17, 2012
- Comments (29)
Readers Comments
RMB333 wrote: What a wonderful gesture, Upasak! Your compassion + generosity + thoughtfulness will take you miles and miles in your chosen path! Thank you for sharing such a warm & beautiful story. Most certainly, Immense & Untold Blessings! RMB333
moral12 wrote: Love it, love it, love it! I love to carve wood, too, and your walking stick/can sounds beautiful. Wish you had included a photo! Kudos to you!
annjav wrote: What a wonderful and thoughtful gift! You really used your talent to benefit this dear lady. Bravo!
1golddragonfly wrote: Thank you for sharing your talents to create a beautiful and usefull gift for an elder. It sounds wonderful. May she use it for a long time to come and feel the love and respect you carved into it for her.
Bluebell wrote: You are a STAR, how beautifuly thoughtful of you to ask her for her power animal, I think that was just AWSOME. In a good Native American way I think that you not only made her, but all her ancestors happy. Love, Light and Endless Blessings, Blubell
Bluxess wrote: The details with which you have worked a cane takes your gesture of helping the lady to unparallel heights Upasaka ... Thank you for the passion with which you worked ... That is truly inspiring, Immense Blessings, Bluxess.
Aurelia wrote: What a beautiful gift you crafted for her! You gave her something she really needed and it certainly was something she will be proud to show off also!!! Thanks for using your TALENT to make someone else happy :0) Smiles are Contagious...~Aurelia
Shelleanie wrote: What a gift of love ~:)
Mirinthia wrote: Wow! Thank you.
AURELIA wrote: Truly beautiful! The gift and your kindness. So much time and thought went into making the cane for her. It was truly a labor of love. I hope she has it for many many years! Thanks for being so kind. ~aurelia
