“Give yourself permission to allow this moment to be exactly as it is, and allow yourself to be exactly as you are.” ― Jon Kabat-Zinn, Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life I’m finding that now that I’m home, a lot of “I wish I would haves…” are arising. Again, because I believe in re-dos, I’m not going to dwell on them (but I might write about them). I’ll just tuck them away and make note to explore…
“Life is one big road with lots of signs So when you riding through the ruts,don’t complicate your mind.Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy.Don’t bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality.Wake Up and Live!” Bob Marley One of my most favorite things along the Way was the signs. They ranged from the traditional stone structure with a shell and a yellow arrow to modern-day graffiti on curbs, fences, and pavement. The signs are works of art. Many are in…
“Between stimulus and response there is space.In that space is our power to choose our response.In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” Viktor Frankyl (although questioned) I have attempted to write two other posts: “Into the Mystic” and “The Celtic Nation.” In both of them, I started to share what I learned about the Celtic influence on the Galicia region and the mysticism that the Celts brought to the area. Perhaps my interest in all things mystical can…
“Bridges symbolize change and flexibility! They show us this simple philosophy: When you are on one side, you can easily move to the other side!” Mehmet Murat ildan There are many bridges in Portugal and along the Camino- large steel bridges scanning rivers and highways to small wooden bridges built over creeks. Regardless of their size, we had to cross them to reach our destination. If bridges do symbolize change and flexibility, then I don’t find the above philosophy so…
Galicia is a juxtoposition between the old and the new. Modern methods blend into the background and the beauty of the Camino and her people are the highlight.
“Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.” William Wordsworth I have been experiencing the dreaded Writer’s Block. Before leaving, I wrote with ease and the ideas flowed abundantly. Even when I wasn’t writing about a family member, a topic and its words would come to me easily. Having finished a twelve day adventure filled with reflections and observations, it is frustrating to find myself struggling to fill a page. My fingers sit on the home keys of the…
“Let’s start at the very beginning A very good place to start.” Julie Andrews Today I had better luck. I woke up at 3 am. I had six hours of sleep and am feeling much better than yesterday. The downside is that I have been staring at this page for about 3 1/2 hours. I am struggling with where to start with my experiences. I asked John if I seemed different. He said, “No, but you must feel different, so…
‘Travel doesn’t become adventure until you leave yourself behind.” Marty Rubin I am waiting in the small airport of Santiago de Compostela to catch my flight to Boston via Frankfurt, Germany. Two steps forward, one step back. In any case, I’ve been advised to get a pretzel while I am in the airport, and I’ll enjoy a short layover to hear another language. As you know, my plan was to reflect and write daily. Dave shared that one of his…
If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t run, then walk, if you can’t walk, then crawl, but by all means keep moving. Martin Luther King, Jr. And we’re off! Thank you so much for all the beautiful symbols that you entrusted to me. I didn’t have any idea as to what you would choose or where this would lead. You have touched me with the meaning and thought behind each item. Being able to share my thoughts with…
“A great man is always willing to be little.” Ralph Waldo Emerson I have reached the final gift of gratitude. I am sure some of you have been waiting for this one. And this one will test my powers to just “let it be” because John has requested that I do not write about him. I pushed encouraged him just a little, but he was emphatic. He could not think of a symbol, and he said didn’t want to give…