Hi you guys. I’m a little under the weather but I am attempting to rally. My new chemo drugs and the ensuing new side effects are keeping me busy in new ways. Wouldn’t want to get bored with the same old thing now would we?
Then last night I watched Molokai, the story of Father Damien and the lepers in Hawaii. Now that was heavy duty there, not like my little complaints. Anyway would love to talk about that maybe tomorrow or soon. But Maureen from California sent a good story in that I will give to you now:
Good morning Phil!
I have loved following your blog. I consider myself a Caminohead, though I have never walked in Spain. To me, the Camino is the spiritual inner journey of walking through this life as a “pilgrim among pilgrims.” We are all trying to find “our way” back home… it is a faith walk of trust, surrender and community.
I wrote to you way back in October about my friend Betsy that was walking in Spain at the time. She had lost her son Jack in October 2016, and was walking by herself, spreading his ashes along “The Way” She actually completed her walk and arrived in Santiago on the one-year anniversary of Jack’s passing.
Betsy talked about that markers along “the way”… the yellow arrows and the shells that guide the walkers to keep on the trail. One day, she noticed that she had not see a marker for quite a while, and had to re-trace her steps to where she had last seen the sign. This can be costly when you are keeping a pace of 13 miles (or so) a day. As she was walking back, she met a young man from Australia.
While they walked together, she told him that she thought she was off track, and was looking for the markers to guide her back. He then showed her that there was a Camino App that could be downloaded to her smartphone. He helped her set that up, and she found that it GPS’ed her location, so that she could never get lost again! When she thanked him and asked his name, he replied “My name is Jack, just like your son.!” She was amazed! Her story gave me goosebumps once again.
We talked about that experience and how there are no coincidences in life!
She feels strongly that Jack from Australia was a Guardian angel along her way! She also talked about having to re-charge her smartphone each day to stay connected to the source.
Kind of like we have to stay connected to “our source” (God) each day to keep our batteries charged and stay on course!
Maureen
Yes, a great story. I think that we all have our own version of that story. Not to diminish it but to say that yes things like that happened. We can relate to it for sure!
What I think about now when I hear stories of being lost on the Camino is that I don’t know if that is possible. Because a lost person will have an experience there that they won’t have otherwise as Betsy did. I guess it depends on your definition of lost. Does that make sense though? The whole trip is about experience so “being lost” is part of that experience. Maybe if you think about being one of the old time walkers whose only guide was following the setting sun they were maybe always lost or maybe never lost. Just a Felipe thought.
Lost love, Felipe.
Awesome post!
Some years ago I was stranded on Snoqualmie Pass near Seattle in December during an avalanche that was a few miles ahead. I turned around and went to the Safeway store in Cle Elum where everyone else who was stranded went to get food. I prayed for an angel to help me out while in line to pay for my food. I overheard a young woman telling the cashier that she had a warm house the people could stay at for the night. I went up to her and she said I could stay at her house. I followed her out of the store and asked her name. She said “Angel.”
Jessika ~ great story! It is not on THE Camino but it is on the Camino. Good one, Felipe.x
Hola, Felipe, Amigo!
I think you’re maybe already on the way to the various ways your Blog can chug along into the forever. Two great Camino stories in a week provided by this following of yours. Loving it!
My take on “getting lost”. Maureen talked about her getting lost and then you chimed in with “what is “lost”, anyway. Whenever I hear people talk about “how much weight they’ve lost”, I remind them that the pounds are never really “lost”. You’ve just misplaced them, and they always find their way back to you. On the Camino of life, you’re never really “lost’, you’ve just misplaced your location temporarily. 🙂
SF,
PFJ
Hola querido PFJ,
Just wanted to say Hi, and thank you for your big heart and inspiring comments too*. I have been reading them since I follow Felipe’s blog, just that we didn’t engage in the interaction as these days.
Gracias! 🙂 🙂 🙂 Buen Camino!!
Cris
*I would love not though, to find the weight I lost back! 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀
And, Cris,
So nice to be addressed “Querido”! Muchas Gracias!
PFJ
Hi Cris!
Your writing and your picture remind me of one of the most beautiful people I met on my Camino in 2013. She was a magnificent lady from Columbia, SA. Her name was Clara, and we corresponded regularly after our shared Camino. I hadn’t known that part of her reason for walking when she did was that she had been diagnosed with cancer. Our writing let me follow her life, good parts and bad parts, after her return home. She managed to visit Iowa (where I live) as her daughter (an MD) was giving a talk in our state. We were so thrilled for this brief reunion, and the chance to meet each other’s family. She passed from this earth less than a month later. The Camino sews threads that can never be undone.
Thanks for writing! Felipe loves you. I can see why!! 🙂
PFJ
Oh Juan, heartbreaker there. Felipe.
Juan ~ we seem to be on some sort of roll around here. Yes, great material has been coming in. The whole getting lost thing is interesting. Felipe.
Hola Felipe,
First of all, thank you for all the nice things you are saying about me lately… I am considering firing my therapist! With you and PFJ around, my self steem would sky-rock!
Totally can relate to Betsy’s experience, if we talk about the teachings of the Camino, and that the Camino finds it way to provide what we need, this experience of getting lost just was the mean the Camino found.
I read this piece of poem from David Wagoner in a book I read this year, and it is something to reflect on: “You are not lost. Where you are is called HERE and you must treat it as a powerful stranger”.
Let us know if we can help these days, you have given us enough material to think and make reflections if you need to take a day off around the treatment schedule.
Healing for adverse events of drugs hugs,
Cris
Cris ~ yes, fire that therapist. Let’s get all things sky rocketing! And Betsy’s story was great and I knew that we could relate to it. We would almost expect things like that to happen in our world. K
I’m fighting my way through the side effects as I write. Major fun. I am handling the blog so far. Thanks for the offer. Miss you, Felipe.