These are my heros. All three of us. Cath Duncan, Christina Greenway, and myself.
We did it. We walked 100 kilometres in three days.
This picture was taken at the end of the second day – the 38 kilometre day that we thought we couldn’t survive. The last 8 kilometres or so of that day were some of the most painful moments of my life.
I survived them (and every other painful kilometre) mostly because these other two amazing women were at my side. We held each other up, we laughed together (rather hysterically sometimes) when laughter was the only thing keeping us from tears, we hooted at shirtless cowboys together, we applied moleskin to blisters together, we tried to write a marching song to help us take those next few steps that felt like the hardest thing we’d ever done in our lives, and we crossed the finish line arm in arm.
These women are the REAL THING. They are pure gold. They are the kind of people you want by your side when it feels like the next step is too painful to take alone.
Two days later, I am still processing the big-ness of this accomplishment. It’s the kind of experience that I know will grow in meaning as time passes. In the middle of the experience, your primary thought is “I just have to live through the pain of this next step. And then the one after that. And the one after that.” You don’t have a lot of head space for big thoughts or meaning-finding.
But then the next day, the immensity of it begins to sink in. And the biggest thought that sticks with me right now is this…
If you’re going on a journey that will involve many painful steps, find good people who will walk the journey with you.
Community. That is the biggest lesson I will take away from this journey.
I found community in the hearts of these two women.
Even though I’d never met them in person before, I was confident enough that I could trust them with my painful journey, and that trust was not misplaced.
Find good people. And be that good person to other people who need you. And when you find each other, and you hold each other up along the sometimes painful and sometimes glorious journey, do not take each other for granted.
Cath and Christina, thank you for being my two good people on this journey. Your account at the Bank of Heather is full to the brim.
Reading this brought tears to my eyes and makes my heart swell!
My brain and body are still frazzled and I’m also only beginning to process the meaning and the richness of it all, but I’m finding that the journey we took together walking those 100km parallels with (and in my mind even weaves together with) the journey I walked after Juggernaut died… Finding myself at that place of deep pain and then knowing that, “I just have to live through the pain of this next step. And then the one after that. And the one after that…” And discovering that once I get to the point where the pain feels too much to go on, I actually still have an incredible amount of resources left that will take me way further than I imagined I could go (at least another 75km, as it turned out!). And learning that any pain is endurable when you are enduring it with people who’s hearts are big and open and willing to all that life has to offer – the love that happens in that space provides such a strong contrast to the pain that the pain becomes endurable. That contrast of love and pain (which represents so much of what it felt like to walk 100km, as well as what it felt like to love and lose Juggernaut) reminds me of one of my favorite quotes…
“There is always a moment in any kind of struggle when one feels in full bloom. Vivid. Alive. One might be blown to bits in such a moment, and still be at peace… To be such a person or to witness anyone at this moment of transcendent presence is to know that what is human is linked, by daring compassion, to what is divine.” – Alice Walker
Walking a tough road with someone, you really get to see what they’re made of and find out what you’re made of. I got to see your and Christina’s transcendence this weekend… and it was an enormous privilege and inspiration.
“If you’re going on a journey that will involve many painful steps, find good people who will walk the journey with you.” So many YESes to that!
Cath – I don’t even have the words to express how meaningful this experience was to me, to be at your side as you surmounted such an amazing challenge in a year that has seen so much pain for you. I love what you say about the parallels between this journey and your journey with Juggernaut. It’s so true.
“… in full bloom. Vivid. Alive.” Amen.
May this journey continue to grow in its richness for all of us.
Our soles and hearts took flight these days
Despite the sun shearing rays
We found the strength
We had a dream
We made it through
We were a team
Pain is temporary, glory is forever.
The love I feel for you will never leave, never.
Christina, I feel so very blessed to have you for a new friend. What a rich experience we shared! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for making it richer.
Dear Heather, Cath and Christina – three “phenomenal women” (Maya Angelou)
Thank you for sharing this “snapshot” of your shared experience…of commitment, trust, transcendence…of putting one step in front of the other, moment by moment, to realize your dream, as a team.
Katharine – how very lucky I feel that I have landed in your home the day after such a monumental journey. I can’t imagine a better place with a more supportive and understanding person to help me process all that this journey has been. YOU are one of my good people too and I would walk 100 km. with you in a heartbeat.
Just beautiful. You all are Radiant like the Sun.
Thank you, dear Christine. And you KNOW that if you ever invited me on a similar journey, I would walk 100 km with you in a heartbeat as well. You are one of the good people, my friend.