Carried Along - Camino Thoughts, part 11: Conversation

Peregrinos never walk alone, even if they walk by themselves. Sometimes, though, the encouragement of other’s presence and voices strengthen the bodies and hearts and minds of pilgrims.

The longest stage of walking for this group on this Camino occurred on Day 5… over 24KM (~16miles) on the way from the Monastery on the mountain in Armenteira to the seaside town of Vilanova de Arousa.

We had time in the morning to appreciate the history in which we participate by walking along the same stones people walked along hundreds of years ago.

We had time to pray.

We had time to enjoy the various birds’ songs, trees canopies, and vineyards we passed.

And we had time to comment on the heat of the sun, the tiredness of feet and bodies, and how much longer it might be to our destination.

In the times of exhaustion, conversation with others carried us along and encouraged us to keep going. The group commented on how good it was that we did not have to walk alone - especially when each of us felt exhausted. On the Camino it can be a bit easier to find the encouragement from others, as pilgrims experience similar things.

Yet “back home” how much harder to struggle alone - either not ask for help or not offer help - when, we may have similar experiences with wrestling with things like doubt, uncertainty, identity and self-worth, purpose, parenting, working, and questions of “am I good enough?” “am I doing this right?” “does anyone else even care?”

We do not have to encounter these things by ourselves or experience loneliness alone. I wonder what it might look like this week to ask to have a conversation with someone to carry you along, or offer to have a conversation with someone to help carry them along.