I encountered Buddha on my Christian Pilgrimage
I know-what a title, right? There is so much more to the story. On the third day of our hike, the one that would be our shortest hike except for the last day, I encountered Buddha…lots of buddhas. The day started after two long days and I was ready for a shorter day. We started a little later than the other days. I should have known it would be a tough day when one of our team fell at the onset of the hike. As my teammate helped to bandage her up, I went to get one of our coveted stamps in our Camino passport that showed all the places we stopped on the route. The lady giving me the stamp asked if I wanted to hear about my aura and to give me words of encouragement on my day. We gathered our items and continued on our hike stopping at a nearby small chapel to collect another stamp. It was at this stop that I saw the stand of memorial candles. As has always been my routine since losing my Titi Luisa during Hurricane Maria, I lit a candle and said a prayer for her. There are days when she is forefront in my mind, even all these years later, and that day was one of those days. She was always the center of our family. Whenever we would visit Puerto Rico, we would always gather in her home. I remember her and Tio Popo’s cooking and recalled how thankful I was that they both chose to share those treasured recipes with Rob and I. I remembered her calling me every week when I was pregnant with the girls, just checking in to make sure I was ok. She was a second mom to many of us and the best mom to her own kids. So, that day as I hiked away from the chapel, Titi Luisa was in my heart just like she was the heart of our family.
Another little detail about Titi Luisa that I remembered from childhood? She loved Buddha figurines. She wasn’t buddhist, she just loved the statues with his smiling face and round belly that was usually polished to a high sheen. She would say he was round, just like her and when she would giggle I could almost imagine hearing buddha giggling with her with his shaking belly. On our hike, we stop along the way and usually grab a coffee in the morning and a snack or lunch in the afternoon. That day, we stopped at a small little cafe set up with tables outdoors. Each had cute little decorations, a ceramic mushroom or succulent plants. When I looked at the first two tables, guess what I saw? A buddha figurine with his big round belly and a smile. Coincidence you say? No, I had not seen anything that would even resemble a buddha on this entire journey, over 30 miles in. And that day, of all days, the day with Titi Luisa on my mind I see a buddha? Not a coincidence, I knew she was with me that day.
I mentioned it was one of our short days? It was also my hardest day. I am not sure if it was the fatigue from the first two days or the later start, but it was a harder day on my back and every step became more difficult. As we began to reach the end of the day, I shared with my group the stories of my Titi. I told them of her love of the buddha belly, her laughter, her cooking and a heart that knew no limits. I didn’t know I needed her that day, but God did. My hardest day turned out to be one of my best days - I got to share my love of Titi with others and it made the day go by that much easier.
Today, I pray that you not forget your loved ones that have passed. As long as we tell their stories, they will always remain with us.
I pray my words spoke to you, please share with a friend. Don’t miss a blog post, subscribe to my web page.
