Touch the Sky and Praying with Bison: Tuesdays' Reflection

I intended today's post to be about a field trip Bruce and I took to Blue Mounds State Park and Touch the Sky Prairie, both in Luverne, MN, about three and a half hours from our St Paul home.


























I intended to rejoice in the beauty of the prairie--its wildflowers, its expanse where one feels and sees the wind, its diversity and its invitation to open one's eyes and look far into the horizon. I intended to share my surprise when a hawk lifted up in front of me and when one of the trails ended at a waterfall, and the sound of the water mixed with the sound of the wind.




I intended to share all sorts of facts about bison, thanks to our knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide, Amber, at the Blue Mounds State Park, where there is a herd of about 70 bison. "I love bison," she proclaimed, and maybe, I do now, too! Buffalo and bison are the same, she told us as we bounced along a rough trail in an open safari like vehicle. Herds are matriarchal with only one male in attendance during breeding season, and each herd has a well-defined hierarchy. I was intending to share these facts and more.

I intended to encourage you to visit the wonders that may exist almost in your back yard. What would someone from a distance travel to see that you have been meaning to see yourself, but haven't yet? I intended to promote local tourism and to give thanks and praise to all those who have helped maintain these gifts of beauty.

Instead, I am compelled to express my deep sadness again because of the senseless tragedies of this past weekend. Instead, I cry, "Oh, no. Not again." 

At the same time I intend to pay attention to the lessons and the gifts of the prairie and the bison and offer them to you.

Just as the prairie grasses reach toward the sky, we can lift our hopes, our prayers.

Just as the wildflowers in all their glorious colors and shapes grow together, blooming in each other's company, so can we.

Just as bison remind us of earlier times when indigenous peoples were the rightful inhabitants of this land, and  white Europeans were the immigrants, we can open our arms and hearts to all those who seek refuge. 

Just as Native American spirituality honors the bison as a symbol of prayer and abundance, we can remember that all life is sacred.

               To honor another's pathway, even if it brings
               you sadness, is part of the message that Buffalo
               brings. This may be a time of reconnection to the
               meaning of life and the value of peace. Most 
               assuredly this time will bring serenity amidst 
               the chaos if you pray in earnest for enlightenment
               and the power of calmness and give praise for the
               gifts you already have.  
                                 Medicine Cards, The Discovery of Power
                                 Through the Ways of Animals
                                  Jamie Sams and David Carson

Just as our exuberant guide Amber invited us to enter a minute of silence as we watched the bison, I invite you to sit in silence and lift a prayer for all who survive, for all who have a chance to make a difference, and that we may each reach beyond our own false limitations and just do something.

An Invitation
What is your intention today? I would love to know.