Day 083n: A very Peace-full Parting … (July 06, 2019)
It had been a long, dry, hot, and arduous day already, and Mate had been slowing down more & more & more as we had steadily plodded along – stretching each successive water break to the point of becoming its own stopover and each successive encounter with others to the point of becoming a pilgrimage destination in its own right. There was absolutely nothing ‘wrong’ with any of this, of course (every pilgrim must fluidly choose his or her pace on any given portion of The Way), and yet it had become all too clear that our respective tempos no longer coexisted in harmony – that it was indeed time for Mate & I to part company. And so it was that we arrived in the town of Navarette on this steaming afternoon – a blazing end of the day that had inspired almost all our fellow pilgrims nearby to already seek their shelter for that night. We sat for awhile with a few of the same at their roadside cafe table, and I embraced that opportunity to offer Mate a heartfelt farewell note, to give him a heartfelt farewell hug, and then to wave a heartfelt farewell to him and all the other pilgrims on hand (many of whom were expressing an open concern for me heading back out into the raw heat with at least 10 miles to go before the next known rest-stop) …
“We must all keep in mind our greater Calling. For we will all always receive in direct proportion to our clarity of vision, our depth of gratitude, our resoluteness of humility, and our steadfastness of service.” ~ via John Roger
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