“Awesome… attractive, smart, loyal, best friend you can ever have, nice, friendly, funny, tech savvy, every girl wants him, every guys wants to be him, the guy Chuck Norris won’t fight, the guy Eminem won’t rap, the guy Barry Sanders won’t race, gets what he wants, good musician, rich, damn sweet, best person to walk the Earth, legendary.”

The Urban Dictionary, definition of Charles

That’s our Chuck! And I promise I didn’t make it up. It is really out there on-line. I did omit a description that had the f-bomb. I read it to him and he declared with a smile, “Yeah, it’s true.”

Since he delivered his symbol by hand, I was able to talk to Charlie about it. He has given me the cross he bought at a very tiny gift shop run by the nuns at the Vatican. The shop seemed like an afterthought; it was right at the end of the tour as we were exiting to Saint Peter’s Square. There was a door on the left and you entered a Harry Potter-esque room. It was small and there was an upstairs as well. Charlie reminded me of that with his amazing memory. The store was crowded and seemed ill-proportioned for the space we had just toured.

Charlie writes, “I have decided that you will carry the cross that we got at the Vatican. If you are ever lonely make sure to hold the cross and know that God is with you. I hope you can remember all the fun times we had as a family on our trip to Italy.”

I was curious why Charlie wanted me to remember the fun times we had in Italy on my pilgrimage. He shared with me that in his Theology class they had a project where they had to bring in a meaningful object and show it to the class. The point of the lesson was to realize that the story behind the object is more meaningful than the object itself. To Charlie, the cross is more than just a souvenir he purchased on a trip. It reprensents cherished memories of a time when the whole family was together. He wants the cross to remind me that I am not alone on the Camino. Charlie hopes that I can remember “that it is not just me but the whole family having fun.”

Thank you, Charlie. If anyone is going to wish me fun and tell me that I am “ready for all the walking,” it is you. Your optimism, love of nature, sense of adventure, compassion, and excitement for others is Classic-Charlie. I know that family means everthing to you. I promise that I will carry everyone with me. I have strong shoulders. And your favorite words of Winston Churchill will carry me when I am tired…”Never, never, never give up.” I promise I won’t.