A stay-at-home pilgrimage

For those of us prone to this sort of thinking and privileged to be at home in these times, these times seem liminal to me. 

It's a time of transition.

The world has changed in ways that we never could have expected -- and all of our lives are different.

As I struggle to remain grounded in the natural world, I'm reminded of pilgrimage as theme, as David Whyte, an amazing poet and philosopher, finished what I think is his third 3-week series of Sundays this afternoon. 

Pilgrimage was the theme of this 3 weeks, and the focus of his voice and poetry today. Telling, I thought, as these pieces have resonated with me in the past.

I came across an image taken almost two years ago in Germany, of a fellow on a pilgrim path, identifiable by the scallop shell, poking through photos yesterday.

Posts about pilgrimage in the past are telling, too.

In 2012, I'd returned to Germany for a naturalistic garden self-study tour and noted in Rothenburg ob der Tauber posts about Jakob and his pilgrim's path.

He's holding a scallop shell, too.

I don't have a walking pilgrimage in my future that I'm aware of  --  I'm just hoping to return to Quebec sometime next year. 

I'm grateful that we've traveled to so many places in the world already, so I'm not missing traveling in general particularly, just missing returning to another special place in the world.

The light and expansive skies were beautiful this evening along the French Broad River this evening.  I'm glad to be here in the Western North Carolina mountains, too.

It's a time of stay-at-home pilgrimage, re-imagining the future and how to be (and contribute) in the world going forward.