Day 24 – Can I get some fairy dust of patience please? Date: 5.8.2025

Walking to Rabanal del Camino (I am heading into the mountains on the western part of Spain!)

Okay 20-25 years ago when I was raising teenagers I used to pray for patience.  I needed so much of it because I truly learned how a person only has control over themselves.  This is a frightening concept to grasp when raising children.  I was naive thinking that should God answer my prayers, I would get my fairy dusting of patience sprinkled on me so I would magically have patience.  I kept praying and the dust never seemed to come.  Go figure.  As I continued to pray, I realized I had even more cause to need patience.  These kids were driving me crazy.  I do believe my hair turned white early because of my kids.  Mind you, I am grateful I still have hair!

So I am a slow learner.  After more attempts to get the magical fairy dust it dawned on me that God was answering my prayers.  He was giving me more opportunities to develop my patience by again learning that I have no control over these children!  God’s answer to my prayers was to provide me with more opportunities to practice patience!  How rude I thought.  THIS is how I learn patience?  There is no fairy dust?  Well, forget this, “I will never pray for patience again”!

Fast forward to current times walking the Camino.  The distance I walk daily varies.  A shorter day is about 12 miles.  A longer day is 18+ miles.  This I have observed no matter the daily distance: the last 1-2 miles always seem to be the longest.  Yesterday I walked into Astorga which is a larger city.  We got near it from a higher spot so we were looking down on the city.  I estimated it would take another hour to actually reach Astorga when I saw it.  I tried to remain patient.  By now I have been through this enough times to know that it will always be longer than I desire.  The first sign I saw for Astorga came at the end of a very long gravel path.  You could see the path for about 1/2 mile.  I knew the city was likely not at the end of this path.  I was right.  I turned left for a few blocks and then saw pilgrims filing left and right as they ascended and descended a 3-4 story high platform.  I thought, “Well I guess I am walking that platform.”  It was one of many safe-guarded paths along the Camino so pilgrims don’t have to cross railroad tracks directly.  So the physical distance to cross the tracks was minimal but the platform extended your steps at least 10 fold just for safety purposes.  I appreciate these safety measures but I just wanted to get to town.

After the platform, there was a city street 5-6 blocks long.  It ended with 5-6 steps to reach the next city street.  My legs did NOT want to take these steps.  I did albeit rather slowly.  Turn left a few blocks and then a sharp right to a street with a vertical incline that felt like 45 degrees.  Okay, I’ll just keep my head down and walk it.  That was about 2 blocks long.  Got to a street that was now at the level of the city.  I figured I was getting close.  I walked a few more blocks and then went to google maps to find my hotel.  I prayed it wasn’t on the other side of town.  I was rewarded as it was just across the square.  Okay the square was kind of large but I was close.  I finally reached my hotel.  And yes they have an elevator!  Bonus!!

All this time I am walking into the city, I am thinking about patience.  Every day I am walking there is ALWAYS the last 1-2 miles for the day.  The Camino is working on developing my patience.  It is mid-afternoon, I’ve been walking since 8:00ish am and I am ready to get off my feet.  I am learning that maintaining a calm demeanor while walking into the city is the best approach for my attitude. Although the Camino is teaching me patience, recall I did not pray for this.  Regardless, I got the lesson anyway.  I actually prefer the Camino’s lesson plan vs. any other lesson plan I’ve had to endure with patience.  Waiting for my kid’s grades, waiting for my own grades in grad school.  Waiting for my baby to finally smile.  Whatever it is or was, I am learning why I like the Camino lesson plan better than anything I had previously.  I am physically doing something while learning to be patient.  It is much easier for me to remain calm if I am physically moving.  Ironic isn’t it. . . .at a time the last thing I want to do is to keep moving and yet I am learning it is easier for me to stay in the moment and breathe than to do so if I am not physically moving.

Perhaps I can take this epiphany and use it in the future when I am struggling with waiting.  That being said, I would still opt for the fairy dust if God is ever willing.

# of days without popping Ibuprofen: 3 (I am proud of this!)

Approximately 240km from Santiago

Less than 12 hours from Operation Burden drop!

Tomorrow I will climb the last 300 meters to get to 1436 meters in altitude

Then in the next 16.5 miles, I will descend 900 meters.  I’m kind of wigged out about it.

If you want to pray for me, pray for courage.  Do not pray for me to be more patient 🙂