A Sense of Awesome Wonder
A Sense of Awesome Wonder
by Susan Florek | Ballwin, MO
I was bestowed with feelings of unity and peace throughout my Camino, and at a time when I needed that most.
My parents moved in with us in 2022 after my dad’s heart attack, and then in 2023 my mom died abruptly, leaving me feeling devastated and despising Alzheimer’s disease. In 2024, I walked a portion of the Camino Francés and one day on the Camino Primitivo to mark a milestone birthday, take a caregiver’s sabbatical, and to light countless chapel candles across northern Spain for my mom.
I experienced an overwhelming sense of unity with God and humankind, through the joy of nature’s tranquil beauty along the pilgrim’s path. Warm childhood memories of my dad teaching us kids about the natural world and his sheer gusto for living life flooded back with deep appreciation.
The prayerful hymn “How Great Thou Art,” carried me and comforted me as I walked. (I especially enjoy a version of the song performed by Pentatonix featuring Jennifer Hudson.) We tearfully sang this hymn at Mom’s funeral, and its lyrics fittingly capture the peaceful beauty I beheld on the Camino. I continue to experience that peaceful beauty as a pilgrim among pilgrims on this journey through life. I found that walking towards Santiago is a living parable of the daily walk toward eternal life with God.
