I walked onward thereafter with Soul fully aglow and almost intermediately met a sweet elderly man by the wayside who was asking for food. I paused without hesitation, gave him the rice cakes & avocado that Beatrice had given me only a few minutes before, and wished him the very best of days. Somehow he could tell that I was giving him literally everything I “owned” in that moment, and he tried to push my gift back while muttering “too much, too much.” I smiled and gently insisted that he keep it, whereupon he asked if I had a knife so that we could share the meal together (!!!). I was as deeply moved by his gesture as he was by mine, and yet there was no knife on hand, so I insisted that he keep it all for himself. The moment was so pure and perfect and beautiful that both of us ended up weeping openly while we hugged our heartfelt farewells … And so it was that my heart was overflowing with Love & Joy & Gratitude when I came upon the Convento Nuestra Señora de la Mercedis – a 14^th century+ monastery that is noted for its peaceful arched courtyards …

“He who travels with Love finds a thousand miles no longer than one.” ~ Japanese Proverb

Filed under: Peace Pilgrimage #02: Walking HOME (2019) by Scaughdt