L-O-V-E Rocks on the Camino

by Kate Cline | Lihue, HI

In August 2014, while listening to Krista Tippett’s On Being interview with Paulo Coelho, I received my call to pilgrimage. As Paulo described his journey on the Camino de Santiago, I was immediately struck by an intense desire to experience it. At 46, I was mid-career and the mom of a 10-year-old daughter, and the logistics of taking six to eight weeks “off” seemed unrealistic. Yet, I knew that somehow, someday, I must walk the Camino. From that moment on, despite not fully understanding why, I began believing that one day I would.

During the next 10 years, my life resembled a list of major stressors: long-distance relocations, my mother’s death, my daughter’s struggles with major illnesses and trauma, marital challenges, job loss, and—yes—the COVID-19 pandemic. Through it all, I trained for, dreamed about, and asked pilgrim friends questions about the Camino, collecting their nuggets of wisdom and guidance. On chapter hikes with my American Pilgrims chapter, when asked about my plans, I regularly replied, “Someday! I believe one day, God will find a way!” 

Almost miraculously, circumstances lined up in 2024. I crafted my plans to walk from St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago from mid-September through October. In the final months of preparation, my close Camino-pilgrim friends invited me to dinner to celebrate that the time for my Camino had finally come. As dinner drew to a close, they began offering me their well-wishes. Miki handed me something rolled in paper towels. “Look carefully,” she said with a characteristic twinkle in her eye. Unwrapping the bundle, I found four pebbles. I quickly realized that their shapes roughly formed the letters to spell L-O-V-E. Chuckling, Miki added, “You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to find an E-shaped rock!” She had gathered them from the nearby California coastline. With a knowing smile, she offered, “You’ll know what to do with them when you get there.” 

As “one day” became Day One on the Camino Francés, I understood: the delay was actually God’s impeccable timing. I had been given two gifts: time to process a decade of life’s accumulated challenges, and my L-O-V-E rocks to focus my efforts. The Way ahead would surely provide insights and wisdom meant for my growth, if only I could stay aware. I knew what to do. Carefully spelling L-O-V-E as I placed my rocks on a marker on the cobblestone road, I snapped my first photo. I was on my way, focused on learning and on love all the way to Santiago!