After what seems like a time of furious posting, I took a little time off to refocus. During the last several months, with CV-19, the illness of my father and other personal disruptions, I think I poured all of my anxiety into my blog as a type of therapy. For that, I apologize.
The day my father died, I spent an hour or so with him. I held his hand and we talked, yes, I believe he was talking to me too. I told him about my 2017 Camino, we’d discussed it a bit in the past, but I went into more detail. It seemed very natural because life is very much like the Camino even in the sense that some believe that both life and the Camino continue after the physical end.
I also told my father about my return to Spain, a very different trip this past year. I told him about placing a rock for my grandmother, his mother, on the way up to O’Cebreiro one of the days I walked with my friend Katja.
I also told him that when I return some day, I will place a rock for him someplace along the Way. I think, he’ll enjoy the spot I choose, and I will always remember where it is. I think he’ll enjoy watching the sun rise and set, the seasons changing and all the Pilgrims as they walk by.
This past year, I left a note and 2 talismans in a special place for my grandsons, Layden and Archer. I’ve written a note with directions on where it is and how to find it, besides that note, only 2 people actually know where it is. My hope is that they go to Spain and walk the Camino in search of my message and on their way, they remember their great-grandfather and his mother not knowing where their stones are so, I guess they are everywhere.
I hope I’m around to hear their stories.