Continue in the pilgrimage of life

zie voor Nederlands -> http://hans2hike.waarbenjij.nu/reisverslag/4695092/verder-op-weg-in-de-pelgrimstocht-van-het-leven

Some news from me after a long silence.

After my return home last year, it was difficult to remember the experiences and lessons of my pilgrimage. It was hard to find my way, suddenly forced into a more complex life, with a lot more than the simple life with my backpack. It seemed that my pilgrimage ( Camino ) was only a dream.
I received good advice from Huberta and Arno, precious pilgrimfriends, who are for 10 years innkeeper to help others to start the camino from their pilgrimhostel, seeing this pilgrimage as learning experience and inner journey.
Their advice: See your trip to Santiago as only the first half. You reached the centre of the labyrinth, have endured difficulties, achieved the goal. The goal that was born in me and helped me in the years before. An inner journey, to have time to grief, recover, rediscover life. Forced to stop walking at the Atlantic Ocean. But how to continue now ?

Now you have to walk out of this labyrinth again. Santiago is not the end, but the second half starts now, to walk back into your life and try to translate the Camino lessons into your 'real' life. That was harder than walking 'to' Santiago, but this advice helped me. Work through my photos, visit pilgrims, telling my story, helped me to remember what I had experienced and to find the way back. Once again in confidence to dare to walk with trust into my life, into the unknown.

More and more I remembered how God protected me on my way. How I learned to walk in every day in trust. Now it is sometimes difficult to understand, but I may learn it again. How you may be a normal human, not perfect, but try to help others with help from above. Giving more meaning to my life and continue on the trail of life.

Precious was a gift from Riëtte. Who made a during my whole trip, a beautiful book with my trip descriptions, decorated with photos and creative additions. An enormous work. Special friends. Huub her husband was happy that I was back home :)

I received a nice encouragement during a retraite, just after my return, with very good friends of me, the Clarissen sisters in Nijmegen, who prayed so faithful for me. During the prayers I was touched by the following. Sister Marianne and I looked at each other. It seemed written especially for me.

Pilgrims and Exiles ( from a letter of Thomas Merton to Adbul Azizj )
"I believe it is my calling to be mainly a pilgrim and an outcast in this life. I believe I do not have a own place in this world and that's why I should be the friend and brother for all people that need me, anywhere in the world, and especially those who are also pilgrims and outcasts like me. In many ways my life is simple, but it is also a mystery that I don’t really try to understand; it is as if I am guided by the hand in a night where I cannot see anything, but in which I can completely trust on the love and protection of God to guide me.”

An encouragement for me, to live also at home as a pilgrim, with hope, giving meaning to my life. And of course, I still often think of my Maria. Deeply grateful.

I went to Taizé meetings in NL, got involved in a choir, meeting new friends. Accept each other as we are, and to see differences as possibility to learn. I am very happy that I could visit Taizé in France again a few weeks ago, to be again in the midst of all those young people around the cross and the great love of Jesus Christ. Healing, inspiring.
A year ago, I walked in March from home and arrived in May on foot in Taizé. To continue a week later to Santiago in Spain. It was special to come back now and meet very good friends again as Benjamin, with who I shared so many precious moments in Taizé & on our camino. Reminding more pilgrims that I met before.
Hiking and silence do me good. Like a recent wonderful four-day pilgrimage with good friends, walking from monastery to monastery, along a part of the Via Monastica to Santiago, on the border of The Netherlands and Belgium.

I made a difficult decision to really stop my work. It feels free now, to be open to do what feels good in my heart. I try to continue to find my way again, and walk into unknown roads in trust. Let me surprise by what comes.

To be continued. There is still much to do, such as translating my complete blog in English and learn more French. Make a summary of my camino movies. And more beautiful things :)

Doing good work close to home and hoping to help Arno & Huberta later in their new ‘Alberque’ near Vezelay = > http://www.espritduchemin.org/en/our-hostel-0

Walking continues to draw me.
Step by step I move on.

As a pilgrim and a proud grandpa :)
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