I was asked to write a small section for this website on how our new treatment center came to be named WAHI. Wahi is the Native American spirit name of Louise Noella Dale who passed from this life on December 28th, 2006. What Wahi means I do not know, however, what it stands for is simple: Honesty—Integrity—Compassion—Service to those less fortunate, and Love for all things.
I first met Lou, as we affectionately called her, in April, 1991, at an A.A.(Alcoholics Anonymous) meeting while she was in her first month of sobriety. She had a certain spiritual quality to her rarely present in one so new to the program. It didn’t take long for Lou and I to become friends. Over the next year she introduced me to the “Red Road”, the name for Native American spirituality. A.A. and the Red Road became essential tools for both of us in our journey of sobriety and spiritual growth. Through the years Lou continued to seek ways to be of service to those who suffer from the disease of addiction and alcoholism.
While Lou had degrees in Art and English, it was her Master’s degree in counseling that allowed her to do the work that gave her the deep fulfillment that she searched for throughout her life. Working with those who still suffered from the disease of addiction, or simply from the great dys-ease of life, was her passion, her life’s spiritual journey.
She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in September, 2005, but continued her work throughout the next year despite multiple surgeries and treatment. We finally talked her into “early” retirement in September, 2006. Even near the end, as the cancer slowly but surely diminished the life force in her body, her spirit and service to others remained strong. All that knew her, and were fortunate to have received her wise counsel, were gifted with her love and powerful spirit. In the 16 years of my life with Lou, I too, was gifted beyond my own comprehension. As time grew short for Lou, her concern was not for herself but for those that had to remain behind. She died peacefully in her sleep on December 28th, 2006, 3 days after her birthday She was 60 years old.
The Wahi Center is dedicated to her great spirit. It was a dream for both of us to build this center. We have decided to do this to honor her efforts, her life and her spirit, to carry this forward, and to continue this service.
--Dr. Dave Arneson
Louise Noella Dale
December 25, 1946 - December 28, 2006
