Whispering of Willows 52

By Dr. Anna Zhao

Today's sunshine is so beautiful; the dew is shining on the newly formed leaves. The cherry tree we planted two years ago has fresh fruit blossoms that are starting to form; the green fruit clinging tightly to the branches, like a baby sucking his mother’s milk.

Earlier, Dr. Ali brought some unhatched bees to the garden, saying that they will help the pollination of our fruit trees. This is the first time I saw bees in cocoons. Dr. Ali took me to their nests and showed me how the tiny insect bites through the cocoon and wiggles its body out gently. When I helped a newly emerged young bee break out of its cocoon and put it on a blossom, I felt like an obstetrician who successfully delivered a baby; touched and relieved.

In addition to fruit trees and roses, the most vibrant plants in the yard are mint, bamboo, honeysuckle and Goji berries. Their vigorous vitality is nothing but awe-inspiring.

C is a very interesting patient. The last time he came to see us, I asked him if I could write about him in my next article, and he said it was his pleasure to be included in our Whispering of Willows, which he enjoys reading.

Life hit C pretty hard during his youth and middle age. His parents pretty much turned against him because he had defied their belief system. For decades, he lived an isolated and simple life. His health was not very good. When he came to see us, he was in pain all over. I noticed that his nose was red, his eyes were red, and his ears were bright red. I touched his back and neck, realizing they were tight like hard rubber. His skin was hot to my touch, but he complained that inside his chest it was so chilly that it often gave him shivers. The front half of his tongue was utterly red, and his pulse was wiry and tight. His feet felt like ice cubes in my hands. Obviously, according to TCM, his energy and blood were extremely unbalanced, and his body was full of tension and disharmony.

After acupuncture, I asked him to accompany me to pick some herbs from the garden and take them home to make tea.

When he came to see me for the second time, he told me that the boiled herbs were the most delicious drink he had ever had. That day happened to be his 50th birthday, so I asked with a smile: "C, is it really your birthday today? Do you mind being stabbed with needles on your birthday?"

He nodded with a timid smile: "Coming to see you is the birthday gift I gave to myself."

The third time he came, I touched his face and neck and felt that they had become cool and soft. He said that the pain in his body had been reduced considerably, and his blood pressure had also dropped significantly.

When he came for the fourth time, it occurred to me that within such a short time, his condition had improved greatly. He appeared radiant and vibrant, very unlike the first few times he came when he was so gloomy and anxious.

"Something special must have happened in your life," I said to him.

He nodded and smiled happily.

It turned out that in addition to his regular job, he also went to Chinatown to volunteer at night, the so-called night patrol. From nine o'clock in the evening to one o'clock in the morning, he followed two wagons walking slowly through the dark and dingy alleys of the most notorious areas in Vancouver, handing out sandwiches and bottled water to the homeless passing by.

He went on: "On the night of my first shift, it was drizzling, cold and dark, I didn't bring an umbrella. Everywhere was full of garbage, rats running back and forth. I didn't feel cold, tired or scared. Instead, my heart was pounding with excitement and happiness. Can you believe the first night I worked we actually saved a person’s life? When we met him, he had already stopped breathing, his girl friend crying beside him. My companions and I revived him through CPR, the paramedics also gave him an injection.

“It was very late when I got home. The next day I went to work as usual and did what I had to do. I didn't feel any discomfort at all..."

He looked at me with his childlike shimmering eyes: "For the first time, I found that life is so interesting and meaningful. Since I was a child, I felt that I didn't belong to this world, as if I was an alien. I didn't have any sense of belonging, like a drifting boat, unanchored. I got married at the age of 18 and divorced five years later. From then on, I worked here and there to make ends meet. My life is so simple that I can throw everything I own into a car and am ready to hit the road any time. But since I became a night patroller, everything has become so interesting... It suddenly dawned to me that the sufferings I had before were not worth mentioning at all. My health has also improved a lot. I am very grateful that my counsellor led me find this night patrol position. I am also grateful to have met you. I feel that the work you do for me is very similar to that of my counselor’s..."

I haven't seen C for a long time. I think he hardly needs our treatment now.

Now I am sitting next to my freshly watered herbs, the sun radiating warmly on me, I feel I can hear the words of a sage I studied: "A circle is round because it has a center. The same is true for a person. As long as they have a center, the life they lead will be complete..."

From a therapist's perspective, I think it means that every patient is imprisoned behind a dusty window. When this window is suddenly opened, with fresh air pouring in, he will no longer suffer from ailments. Even if they still have symptoms, they will be temporary.