Day 071o: Never too tired to CARE … (June 24, 2019)
I had not been able to find Nogaro’s rumored donativo (and it had been still too early to halt at the time), and yet I had somehow assumed (quite incorrectly, as things turned out) that my day’s walking would soon come to a close. I had heard from fellow pilgrim Sasha (who I had originally met in Condom, and with whom I had walked into Eauze) about “the Presbetyre” – a supposedly mendicant-friendly hostel in the township of Lanne Soubiran, and I hobbled into the same that very afternoon. The manageress of the chic establishment was not home at the time, so I entered the refuge’s accompanying chapel (dedicated to both Saint Peter & Saint Paul) to rest for a bit until she returned. It wasn’t long before she did indeed pull in with a car full of groceries for that night’s pilgrims meal. I greeted her warmly and told her of my Walk – its hows as well as its whys, and was immediately met with nothing short of cold (and even condescending) disdain. She told me that she would have to think awhile about taking me in – that she had in the past cared for many a mendicant pilgrim, and yet had grown tired of doing so these days.* She said that I should wait awhile in the church while she thought about maybe taking me in. I made sure to let her know that I had neither hope nor expectation for such a gift, and offered to help her carry in her groceries whether she later offered me a place to stay or not. She once more almost sneeringly turned down my offer and went inside alone. I did indeed head at that point back into the church – not to wait for her potential offer of sanctuary, but rather to simply say a heartfelt prayer of thanks (along with a wish for peace for Marinette, my not-so-likely and obviously unenthusiastic patron), whereafter I quietly announced once again that I would walk this Walk every day until joyfully offered shelter (and fast until freely offered food) – whereupon I set back out upon The Way, with a smile on my weary face and a glow in my still uplifted Heart …
“Real LOVE is an inexhaustible source of limitless energy.” ~ Camino graffiti
*NOTE that it is impossible to become physically exhausted or emotionally fatigued when selflessly providing others with emotings of heartfelt Love &/or sincere acts of Kindness.
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