MEDICINE BUFFALO WITH CALF 
DAKTARI IN HIS HAILCHASING HEYDAY - CIRCA 1968 My friend Deirdre knows the meaning of all kinds of animals.
After sharing my surprise bison sighting with her, Deirdre emails me the following:
" If you are shown Buffalo, you may be asked to use your energy in prayer. You may also be called upon to be an instrument of someone else's answer to a prayer. To honor another's pathway, even if it brings you sadness, is a part of the message that Buffalo brings.”
For the next few days. I keep my eyes open and my ears pealed expecting to run into a person whose prayers I can answer. By Day 2, absolutely nada presents itself. Then, last night, an opportunity knocks.
I’m invited to speak about my work in Africa at a Rotary gathering to honor major donors to the Rotary Foundation. Before the main event, there’s a cocktail party. I’m talking to my friend Brian when a dark haired woman in a green dress approaches the two of us. Her name is Donna Lee. I don't know her well but I do know that she lost her husband last fall.
After sharing my surprise bison sighting with her, Deirdre emails me the following:
" If you are shown Buffalo, you may be asked to use your energy in prayer. You may also be called upon to be an instrument of someone else's answer to a prayer. To honor another's pathway, even if it brings you sadness, is a part of the message that Buffalo brings.”
For the next few days. I keep my eyes open and my ears pealed expecting to run into a person whose prayers I can answer. By Day 2, absolutely nada presents itself. Then, last night, an opportunity knocks.
I’m invited to speak about my work in Africa at a Rotary gathering to honor major donors to the Rotary Foundation. Before the main event, there’s a cocktail party. I’m talking to my friend Brian when a dark haired woman in a green dress approaches the two of us. Her name is Donna Lee. I don't know her well but I do know that she lost her husband last fall.
I can see from Donna’s face that she feels isolated being at a cocktail party without Vince. And since we are herd animals, just like the buffalos, she is seeking refuge by saying 'Hi' to someone she recognizes. Cocktail parties are like that, so I know the feeling.
It’s not long before Brian heads off to get some food and Donna and I are deep in discussion about her situation.
"This is the first Rotary event I've been to since Vince died," she tells me.
"It must be so hard," I say. Tears spring to her eyes.
"I wasn't going to come," she said. "But just as I decided not to, the clouds parted and the sun shone through. I feel like Vince wants me to here tonight."
"Everything happens for a reason," I sympathize.
She starts talking about Vince and I listen. She tells me how they were so close, and how much she misses him. She tells about finding an unopened 2004 birthday card from Vince while cleaning out his office - two days before her birthday this April. She shows me the bracelet she’s wearing and about how it has two hearts linked together with a chain.
"You know you're wearing a lovely green dress tonight." I interrupt gently.
"Yes," she acknowledges. "And you know something, I never wear green."
"Well, you look good in green. And green is the color of healing. I like to wear green myself."
"Do you think this will ever end?" she asks.
"You'll never be cured ," I say softly. Her eyes are filling with tears.
"Nor would you want to. But you will be healed eventually. You've taken the first steps by wearing green and by coming to this affair tonight. It's very brave of you."
"Nor would you want to. But you will be healed eventually. You've taken the first steps by wearing green and by coming to this affair tonight. It's very brave of you."
"Yes," she replied it is.
"You know you can't bring him back," I say "but Vince will never leave you."
A look of gratitude replaces a few of the tears and a shy smile appears on her face.
I give Donna Lee a big hug and a kiss on the cheek and I’m off to give my speech.
After the presentation, I try to find Donna again but she has fled.
I hope she will begin to get out more and resume her active life in Rotary service.
The bison medicine just might work for her.
Also, prayer answering seems like a worthwhile endeavor to me.
I’m beginning to think that healing is more important that curing in most situations.
But it’s not something that MD’s like me are trained to do!
When I was a young hail chaser out on the prairies of Nebraska and Colorado, we used to repeat an old bachelor aboriginal saying about bison. I think it went something like this:
After the presentation, I try to find Donna again but she has fled.
I hope she will begin to get out more and resume her active life in Rotary service.
The bison medicine just might work for her.
Also, prayer answering seems like a worthwhile endeavor to me.
I’m beginning to think that healing is more important that curing in most situations.
But it’s not something that MD’s like me are trained to do!
When I was a young hail chaser out on the prairies of Nebraska and Colorado, we used to repeat an old bachelor aboriginal saying about bison. I think it went something like this:
“When the chips are down, the buffaloes are empty.”
I think that even if they're not completely empty, they often feel empty.
I think that even if they're not completely empty, they often feel empty.
Maybe something could be done about that.
And that is my final musing on bison medicine, for a while at least!
DAKTARI
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