Day 57m: My dearly friendly Family … (06/10/2019)
Well, it turned out there was a little Gite (the French equivalent of a pension) located right next door to the church — a Gite that had quite a few cars parked in front of it and quite a few folks milling about nearby, so I decided to enter and ask for directions therein. I knew that I needed to somehow make it to and through the village of “Le Reucouer” on my way back to the Camino proper, and thought these folks might be able to send me in the right direction thereto …
And yet as so often proved to be the case on this pilgrimage, the kindness of these strangers fully amazed, for the folks inside (who were sharing the final few hours of 2019’s yearly celebration of their 40+ year friendship) proved to be not only deeply fascinated by my Walk, but were also profoundly sympathetic to my current plight. Indeed, all I did was tell them that I was walking for peace and ask for directions back towards L’Estrade, and they proceeded to quite jovially welcome me inside and began showering me charity — food and maps and even a ride back to The Way (the latter of which, of course, I gently yet firmly declined, and the former of which, of course, I hungrily and thankfully indulged) … :O … In truth, to my to-this-day-still-amazed surprise, you would have thought a local celebrity had arrived on the scene instead of me, your now-heavily-bearded, somewhat smelly, and still-bumbling pilgrim … 😀
A longer story made shorter, these fine people showered me from start to finish with interest, amazement, affection, and sustenance. And upon finally finding a member who could indeed point me in the right direction, I departed (after staying there with them amidst fine food and even finer conversation for almost an hour) their lovely presence, but not before they all gave me a heartfelt hug one after the other (there were over 15 of them gathered there at the time) — more than few of them with tears in their eyes — and not before they all stood and applauded loudly as I headed “For Peace!” out the door and down the hill … 🙂 🙂 🙂
“Like everyone who has never known Love, he thought one chose the person to be adored after endless deliberations on their particular qualities or advantages. And yet like anyone who has ever lived real Love, he came to realize that affection only becomes real and true in the moment no advantage for self is sought thereby.” ~ inspired by Marcel Proust
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