~~~A note from a grateful neighbour to a kind family~~~
Dear Caminoheads,
I hope that everyone who celebrated Thanksgiving has had a peaceful and fulfilling celebration. Those who not, maybe, yesterday was a good day to think on gratitude, gratefulness, thanksgiving and other words. Today I thought of this poem that I read many times and once listened the author explaining how she wrote it and under which circumstances… and I thought that kindness should be added to the G&G&T combo…
Try yourself… replace the word “kindness” in this poem by “gratitude” for example… I think the feeling it creates is similar to the overflowing vessel we were talking about yesterday…
…
Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,
you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.
You must wake up with sorrow.
You must speak to it till your voice
catches the thread of all sorrows
and you see the size of the cloth.
Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,
only kindness that ties your shoes
and sends you out into the day to gaze at bread,
only kindness that raises its head
from the crowd of the world to say
It is I you have been looking for,
and then goes with you everywhere
like a shadow or a friend.
“Kindness” by Naomi Shihab Nye
Important words to consider Loves,
Cris
*Health report*: I am on the mend! Feeling better, the coughing has improved, and while my body aches and my eyes seem to have caught a conjunctivitis, today is Friday and tomorrow and Sunday I foresee lots of siesta time!
I am happy to hear that you are getting back to good health, Cris. And your entire post works together for me as I have discovered that health and gratitude are linked. Being conscious of what I am grateful for each day, writing it down as each thing comes to mind even, for me seeds strength, comfort and function.
So I too trust that this US holiday devoted to recognition of what we are thankful for has boosted the wellbeing of many. I am Thankful to be a part of the Caminoheads community every day.
We have been invited to two thanksgiving lunches this weekend with expats in the area and hope to enjoy getting to know them better and be thankful for the invitations.
Just remembered a long South American trip I read other than Sara Wheeler’s Travels in a Thin Country,Paul Theroux’s the Old Patagonia Express in which in the 1970’s he travelled, mainly by train, from his home in Medford, Massachusetts (just north of Boston and I’ve actually been to Medford!)all the way to Ushuaia!You wouldn’t be able to replicate the trip now as the rail service in Mexico was devastated by Vincente Fox and apart for few tourist services and the Mexico City Metro it’s mainly freight only now and even when you get past Mexico there’s huge gaps.I think that after Panama he went to Colombia,but possibly Venezuela depending where the ferry from Panama to South America arrives?, and down the west side to Santiago and crossing east to Argentina then onwards south.
Wishing, praying for your health💝😘