Wisdom Tested and Release of a Sister

What is an Elder, a wise one or old woman - really depends on the culture and how one feels about ourself!

What happens when a mother, great-grandmother, healer and medicine woman to do to honor her 60th year of Life? Really wanted to test and celebrate.

Well going for the traditional dinner and move or a surprise with fiends just didn’t cut the mustard, as they say. Wanting to know what the old gal still had in her, I asked for a couple of friends took me on a good hike up the North Cascade Mountain area heading towards the Pickets.

It was a full day outing and I packed my pack heavy to see if I can still lead the normal Vision Quest we offer each year. There was a glimmer of doubting myself but the other part of me said, “No pain no glory”. I can do it; my days of going out back are not over.

Yes, stubborn is a middle name at time, but one must know when to gracefully say enough is enough.

For me spending most of my life in either the Olympics where I grew up back packing since age 1o years old. Where we thought we were in hog heaven with a piece of plastic to sleep on and some MRIs from the military donated to the Girl Scouts.

But through it I grew to love the back country, raging rivers, wild life in abundance and glistening snow peaks.

Mark Ward, Kirk Williams, Dave (my hubby) and I dawned packs and headed up the river. Crisp cool but beautiful day, couldn’t have asked for better. First we went to the River and asked the Spirits of the land if we could walk in peace and harmony.

Our dear Friend Mickie had died earlier and this was the first time I could get her ashes back to where she last did a Vision Quest with us. I carried her ashes for the day and on our return that night, we made a feather fetish from things she had given me and asked that to go in a tree over where she quested.

Then we went to the River and while the Eagle Whistle blew, her ashes were released to the river and her favorite medicine song was sung.

“If we have courage, we shall be healers, like the sun we shall rise, we are alive as the earth is alive, we have the power to create our freedom, if we have courage we will be healers, like the sun we shall rise, if we have courage we shall be healers, like the sun we shall rise.

For you our Sister Mickie, we will always remember you, your spirit of strength and compassion, of courage and grace. Your dreams and your song. Thank you for letting us know you. Bless you Sister as you walk on before us. Aho Blessed One Aho!