Camino Gratitude Portugal

Stories captures the essence of pilgrimage – not just the physical journey, but the internal one where wisdom unfolds with each step. My 94-year old mother’s simple yet profound Camino advice of “make wise decisions” carries that perfect blend of parental concern and loving humor that comes with watching an absentminded child for 62 years. After telling her that I had “fully matured,” she eye-rolled and giggled far too long. 

This morning, I left in the early morning darkness to “beat the crowds.” About 3 hours into my walk, I realized my only US to Europe power converter was left in the albergue from the prior night. Fortunately, an offset to my life-long poor decision making process is incredible luck, someone always seeming to help at the right moment. Today, this was apparent as I walked 20 miles into the last town of the day and saw a huge Staples store, which had hundreds of power converters! This was the only Staples store on the entire Camino de Santiago!

This illustrates something pilgrims have known for centuries: the Camino provides. This “trail magic” appears just when needed, often teaching that our missteps often leads to unexpected grace.

During today’s walk, I made a conscious choice to embrace silence and listen to my thoughts. My quiet walks are moments of meditation, contemplating how God calls me to serve and love others. Rousseau once observed, ‘I can only meditate when I’m walking, when I stop, I cease to think; my mind works only with my legs.’ Perhaps this explains my long walks, allowing my mind to wander freely between ideas, lingering long enough to capture insights. I believe in Jeremiah 29:11, ‘For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.’

I simply quiet myself to hear and process these divine gifts that lead to boundless joy. The Camino invites this contemplative pace, where ideas have room to breathe between footfalls. My mother’s words evolve from a gentle admonishment to a profound invitation: wise decisions often emerge not from avoidance of mistakes, but from the attentive presence that allows us to receive what each moment offers – whether it’s a forgotten converter or an unexpected Staples.

Buen Camino!