Tuesday, April 26, 2016

A poem by a fellow pilgrim...

This poem was found on the Camino de Santiago Forums, posted by William Garza.  I believe he is the one who wrote it, but I really don't know.  As I am inching closer to my own return (37 DAYS !!!!), it speaks of the call to go, and the rhythm of the walk.

Tell me again
Oh Pilgrim fair

Why I Must
Travel the Way?

Why Must i be drawn from afar, to some land..known to my heart
Unknown to my feet
Known to my soul
Yet have never breathed the air

Why..old Pilgrim there
Why does my heart beat in time
In between dreaming..and awake
To the footsteps
To the winds...whispers in my ears
To my footsteps
One by one
Until ime done
To a footstep in the night
That reminds me 
Ime not yet gone?

Tell me Pilgrim
Tell me of far off places
Close to your heart...
Of places close
That have no feel of home.

The long empty stretches
Bereft of steps
Silent but for the whispers to your soul.

The Wind talks to no one there
They're there..all for their own sake?

I think not.

Why must..I
I! Go.

Ultrea
Buen Camino
Que..te Vaya Bien

I have known Freedom
Because I have known cages
I have known Happiness
Because of Sorrow
I have known Life
Because I have seen too much.

Pilgrim
Your days are counted
Get busy Living or stay busy trying.
Surrounded by Infinite sorrow...
You Pilgrim
You Know Joy,

You have stepped out of Chrysalis
And into the winds
You will never be the same.

I know you
I know you by your eyes.

They have seen the light

I Remember now
The Call..is why.

Pilgrim on the Way
Dont worry why your there
Be..There...
Spend your Time
Do you understand?
Every moment important
Live fully within your time

Be Blessed on Your Way


While the planning is easier this time around, this Camino feels like a very different prospect than the last one.  In many ways, my last Camino was a search and a prayer for healing and wholeness after my divorce, and this time, there is a joy, a wonder that is inherent in the journey.  

Even in spite of the physical hurdles that I'm working to overcome, this pilgrimage is all about joy and thanksgiving, not mourning and healing.  Maybe that is why I'm going to be travelling in the height of summer, when the path and the vegetation will be at its peak of beauty.  Last time, I walked in the Autumn, when the harvest had been or was in the process of being brought in, and the land was beginning to prepare for winter--still mostly green, but a sign here and there of the winter to come.  I was able to harvest what I needed from that trip, and I am very thankful, but this trip....this trip is full of possibilities and promise.  

I don't know what the fruit will be, but I know that it will be exactly what I need.  


Ultreia!

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Stark Raving Terror

Thursday was a weird day for me...I had someone tell me that I should join Tumblr, and in the process, I discovered that there are a lot of people who have posted about the Camino there (I had to choose some stuff I was interested in for my news feed...). Then, I made the mistake of reading the posts of others about their pilgrimages... Which made me really wish that I could go back to the Camino this year like I said I would. So, as a break from grading, I ended up looking at how much it would cost to fly to Spain this summer.

Do you see where this is going? Yep. I booked a flight to Madrid, leaving June 2nd and returning on August 5th. It was really exciting at the time, but now I am confronted with the fact that I haven't really been exercising to speak of, and I just signed up to walk 500 MILES in the space of two months, and I only have 46 days to physically prepare myself. Either this is God nudging me in this direction, or I'm being very, very stupid.

I can handle the lists and the planning and the gathering of necessities for my pack. I can get mentally and spiritually ready. I can swing the cost and the expenses along the way. What I have no idea if I can handle is the physical aspect of this pilgrimage. What if I have to fly home early because of a recurrence of my tendinitis? What if I make my already bad back worse?

And then, this recurring thought also pops into my head: what if I wait and miss this opportunity because all of my problems are worse? Backs tend to degenerate over time, not get better. Something tells me that, if I'm going to be doing anything that requires physical prowess, now is the time, not later.

I just don't know if I made the right decision, and could use a little peace. Barring a clear sign that I am not supposed to do this, I could use lots of prayer for this time of preparation: that I can gain the fitness I need, and that I can finish the Camino without injury. Health is my word for this year, so it would be great if I could gain some health in these areas, too.

I could also use some peace in all of this. St. James, pray for me!

Monday, April 4, 2016

The Year of the Butterfly

Butterflies have a lot of symbolism that is tied to death and re-birth...it is often a way for us to remember the death and resurrection of Christ, for instance.  One website I was looking at mentioned that butterflies are also a reminder of our own bodily resurrection that is promised in scripture.
source: http://in5d.com/the-esoteric-meaning-of-the-butterfly/  I just really like the picture, not necessarily the content of the website...
As is usual for me, the advent of my birthday makes me (some would say overly) contemplative, and as this coming birthday is the big 4-0, I'm finding myself thinking a lot about this coming year and what I both want and where I want to head.  

Usually, this entails finding a theme verse from the Bible, and maybe making a few goals that I want to work on.  Sometimes, it means looking at what I'm doing and adjusting accordingly, or it means scrapping stuff that clearly isn't working.  

This year, even though I have been thinking and praying about it for close to a month, I can't seem to settle on a verse from scripture, but I have kind of decided on a theme for the year....In my mind, this coming year has become the Year of the Butterfly.  

To that end, I've already chosen my journals for the year, and every single one of them has some sort of Butterfly on the cover.  I just love the hope and the joy that butterflies evoke in me, and I also feel like there has been a huge transformation of who I am over the last few years--the resurrection has happened, and now, I must learn to fly.  

 This may also sound a bit crazy, but one of my favorite movies is City Slickers with Billy Crystal.  It has a lot of wisdom in it, and I will leave you with this little gem as I close today:




May we all discover our One Thing.