Little Moments of Great Meaning

by David Olmos | Portland, OR

On a calm morning along the Camino Portugués, I traversed the quiet back roads of Marinhas, a parish near Esposende along a section of the coastal route that steps briefly away from the sea. After a spell of uphill walking, I was grateful to reach a relatively flat section of paved road on the third day of my Camino.

Lost in thought and admiring the ocean views and centuries-old stone walls draped in red bougainvillea, I glanced up to notice an elderly gentleman in a gray-and-black striped sweater. Boasting a small black fedora, holding a wooden walking stick, and resting his arm on his back, he hobbled toward me on the cobblestoned road. As I drew closer, he stopped to wait for my approach, holding my gaze with kind eyes. Then a greeting: “Bom dia!” Looking down, he patted his right leg just above the knee. Speaking in Portuguese that I did not fully understand, he spoke a few words that included “Santiago.” 

From his gesture and his expression, it was clear what he was asking of this pilgrim: “Say a prayer for me and my bad leg when you reach Santiago.” Smiling kindly, he went on his way. I turned to watch him walk away, absorbing the meaning of this request from a stranger. I also quickly snapped a photo.

Moments earlier, I had been caught up in the kind of nagging concerns that gather in your mind along the Camino: Would there be a café up ahead to get a café con leche? Was my phone sufficiently charged? Was that a new sore spot in my foot? 

But this morning a lovely gentleman had gifted me a reminder of the greater meaning of this ancient spiritual path. Though I am not generally one to pray, I vowed to light a candle and say a blessing for this man when I reached Santiago, honoring his request. This encounter took but a moment, but it remains forged in my memory to this day. On the Camino as in everyday life, it is the little moments, again and again.