By the time we reached the middle of the road, Joe and I had met two other couples and several individuals we simply, once we met them, could not walk without. Without planning it, a new family of pilgrims marching to Santiago was born. While we didn't always walk side-by-side or sleep in the same town at night, Our Little Camino Group remained together by text, Whatsapp, hostel-sharing, coffee stops and almost nightly shared dinners until the very end.
Joy is a young woman from Chicago, smart as a whip and humble as a monk. From the moment we met, I was struck with how her name reflects exactly who she is.
Joy
Joy
Shines
Joy
Radiates truth
Like sun glinting on a silver tray
Joy
Holds vulnerability
Tenderly like a baby
Rocking gently with a quieting hand
Joy
Laughs and the world stops to listen
As if a diamond stood up to sing
As if there were no more perfect a sound
If we could, we would swallow that sound ourselves
Joy
Has shared a path with Hardship but gone forward on a different road
She has been ransomed by Sorrow but refused to pay his price
She celebrates her freedom in old boots and blisters and a puffy blue coat
Here she walks arm-in-arm with Beauty and Grace and Dignity
As she steps lightly, courageously, mysteriously into herself
~ Cheryl Murfin, on the Camino de Santiago
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