Before we arrive in Madrid, allow me to take a moment to express appreciation for more women in my life. Gracias.
This time after my pilgrimage walk has been like a long ride on a dream. Doesn’t that sound mixed-up? I feel as though I had an out of body experience. Overcoming the fear of walking alone on a path followed by ancient Romans, Africans, Arabs, Muslims, Jewish people, Christians, Buddhists, non-believers, and so many others lifted my soul.
For all that has been, thank you.
For all there is to come, yes.
– Dag Hammarskjold
I am appreciative for so many things:
Metamorphosis
Remember: I wrote about an elderly neighbor from my childhood whom my mother encouraged me to help with personal and household chores. She had a wall of portraits of herself from a very young age to a young woman to her most mature age. It impressed me so much.
At the time, I could not imagine that I would ever have the inclination or the means to do such a thing. My question was “why”? What does it matter to document those images with memories that are good and those that are bad.
In appreciation, I offer my not so professional, copycat effort:
More…
Each image represents a memorable time, place, or thought in my life. There are others, of course, but these come to mind today.
…and more…
I understand.
In Appreciation for The Ancestors
To acknowledge our ancestors means we are aware that we did not make ourselves, that the line stretches all the way back, perhaps to God; or to Gods. We remember them because it is an easy thing to forget: that we are not the first to suffer, rebel, fight, love and die. The grace with which we embrace life, in spite of the pain, the sorrow, is always a measure of what has gone before.
– Alice Walker
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Where my camino thoughts began: appreciation for Miss Thomas
Next time:
Meet you in Madrid!
Baadaye!
Shirley J ♥️
Song of the day. Listen:
Mother’s Theme Mama by Willie Hutch
This and several posts this summer chronicled my pilgrimage in Spain where I walked the 1400 kilometer-long camino Mozárabe, camino Via de la Plata, and finally, camino SanabrĂ©s – north, west, and northward again – to Santiago de Compostela. Read my announcement here.
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My YouTube channel – Noire Pilgrim By Shirley J – features mini videos, snippets, and shorts from my pilgrimage on the camino.
