And here on this awe-inspiring summit yet another beautiful tale began to unfold. I had briefly met the Huntsman family a few miles beforehand back in Cizur Menor, and my ego had been less than impressed during that first impression. Maybe it was the seemingly aloof way they had spoken with me about my Walk or the irritated way they had seemed to speak with one another, but I remember distinctly remarking to myself how odd it was to have my first encounter with Canadians be such a negative one. Well, as is so often the case when we allow our instincts to do the judging, it turned out that my initial, id-inspired analysis of them could not have been further from the truth. You see, I was able to pass them & or speak with them a few more times shortly after that first meeting, and they had steadily warmed each time, until David – the patriarch of the group – had stopped me outside the church in Zariquiegui and told me that he would like to treat me to lunch at the top of the mountain when we all arrived there. I wasn’t sure that we would meet again at all that day, of course (so is the uber-fluid nature of the Camino – or any pilgrimage, for that matter – or even everyday life itself), and yet I was not only honored that he would make that offer but astounded to then find his verbal graciousness come to fruition at Alto der Perdon, where a buffet the likes of which I had rarely seen was laid out on the summit’s primary monument, and I was lovingly invited to share the same … :O

“Remember how to believe in people again and not be judging or cynical to your mind’s various past-tainted beliefs. We are literally all of one light on this glorious Earth, and having the courage to act accordingly makes all the difference.” ~ via Michelle Cruz-Rosado

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