I have been pondering what the “it” is after reading a post several weeks back from a fellow blogger. We all wonder at times, what is life really about anyway? I wrote the following poem with how I respond to that question…..
The “It”
She wanted to know what the “it” was
A fair question to be pondered on a blog
Several commenters responded “YES, YES, where is the It?
It escapes me!
I sigh
The same question dodged me in my younger years
But with six decades behind me, I know the It
For it is hard to recognize and often takes the passing of time
It can pass right under you like a tsunami in the open ocean
A lulling swell that will gently rock your boat
As it heads toward land to release its energy
Children know the It
It is in curiosity
In play
In friends and in family
In greeting each day like an adventure
It is in nature
And the spirit that resides there and within
It is in risk
And creative expression
Love, giving
It is in the individual footsteps one’s journey
Not the destination
Just remember
Look up from your feet
For centuries Catholic pilgrims from all over Europe & beyond set out to walk often hundreds of miles to the shrine of the apostle, St. James whose remains were said to rest in the Cathedral de Santiago de Compostela in Santiago, in northwestern Spain. Though many routes crisscrossed Europe, the most well-traveled route stretches 500 miles from St. Jean Pied de Port in France over the Pyrenees through Basque country and then onto Galicia.
In 2013 I walked 250 miles of the Camino with my long time friend, Deb,marking my 60th birthday. We skipped the middle part since we only had 2 1/2 weeks. It was a pivotal experience in my life. We started in France with many other pilgrims beginning the long trek from the charming medieval village of St. Jean de Port crossing the Pyrenees the next day.
By Alanna Pass 