The perfect meal
I didn’t want to bombard you with my personal experiences on the pilgrimage. Each pilgrimage is a personal journey. Instead, I want to encourage you to go on one. I would encourage you to reach out to my dear friend Reverend Laura Rasmussen at https://www.ultreiaministry.com to find your pilgrimage. I love the meaning in Latin of the word ultreia, it is encouragement to go further. These pilgrimages are more than just a geographical location (and you can find them all around the world-my next one may be Japan!), but to continue going further by incorporating into you your every day living. “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage” (Psalms 84:5, NIV)
One of my favorite moments on the Camino was a simple question asked two different ways. One was “if you had your last meal on earth what would it be?” The other, “if you could have one last meal where would it be, who would be there, what would you eat”? My first answer was a special meal that each piece reminded me and connected me with someone in my life. If they could not be with me in person, I know that in every bite of their favorite dish or the specialty, that I would think of them and savor every moment. Ask me when you see me and I will happily share the details of the amazing meal! The next question changed my response completely. It was no longer about being alone but about being in the moment and holding on to it for as long as I can. The food didn’t matter as much a who would be there, where we would be. I wanted it outdoors with long tables where we could get up and move around and see and talk to each other. I wanted to bring together family and our framily (friends that are family). I wanted the meal to include every course possible with choices for everyone of their favorite dishes. I could feel the laughter hearth octave of the conversations getting louder and louder as we strive to be heard over each other. I could see us coming to the end of the meal, satisfied knowing that this was a meal none of us would ever forget. the laughter turned to kind eyes holding on to those images for as long as possible. Physically connecting with everyone and being present, where nothing else in the world matters.
Isn’t it amazing how one question asked a different way completely changes your answer? I think of my start on this pilgrimage journey. It started because it was a friend’s desire to hike El Camino. It wasnt’ my dream and I had no idea what El Camino was, let alone wanted to hike it. I simply don’t turn away from a challenge or adventure. That is how I entered into my Camino journey. As months passed and preparation began, a team of seven dropped donw to three. One stranger and two co-workers. The journey, for each of us, was not happenstance or circumstance, we were each exactly where God intended us to be, where we needed to be. I went in focused on the miles and how I would overcome that challenge with my back, I ended not caring how many miles we hiked in a day, but being a witness to everything El Camino offered. I savored the cafe con leche and fresh baked goods, I savored that quiet stillness of predawn starts to beat the heat at the end of the day, I savored the conversations about last meals, and bird encounters that connected me with other pilgrims. When we reached the end, I looked at my fellow pilgrim as we looked up at the Cathedral and asked her how she felt. We both felt “eh” at the site before us. You see, it was not about the destination, but our journey along the way. The Cathedral symbolized the end of this geographic hike, but not the end of our pilgrimage. The Cathedral, like my first meal I chose, was a symbol, a representation of what I hold dear, but the Camino-that was the second meal. Every moment, every bite, every tear and every laugh-none will be forgotten.
When I shared the meal questions with Rob, he responded with we are never alone. Even in the last meal eaten in isolation, I chose items that connected me with others. In the hike, the times when each step was my own, and I hiked in silence (Laura made us:)), I ever felt alone. The quiet connected me with all that surrounded me. Each step renewing my spirit.
