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STORY OF THE CRANE SYMBOL


There is in all visible things... a hidden wholeness.
                                                                  -- Thomas Merton


Cranes have been long revered by many cultures. For example, in Japan, cranes --especially 1000 of them-- are a symbol of hope. In North America, the Whooping Crane is gradually making its way back from extinction. These birds, which nest north of Alberta, have only one flyway to Texas in the winter. To create a second flyway, some scientists put Whooper eggs in Sandhill Cranes' nests in Montana. While the Whoopers hatched and followed the Sandhills south, when it came to mating time, the Whooper population failed to reproduce. They never learned their own language nor could they understand that of the Sandhills.

The story of the Whooping Crane provides us with two messages to ponder concerning complementary and conventional therapies. First, communication is critical. You can place complementary and conventional therapies under one roof, but this arrangement will not bear fruit without good communication. Second, placement of Whooper eggs in Sandhill nests was carried out not to intermingle genes, but rather to create a second pathway to an end. Is it not possible that by integrating complementary and conventional approaches, we can create a new "flyway"…

-- contributed by Dr. Louise Horstman


 


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