Tears at the Cathedral: “How the Camino de Santiago Broke and Healed Us”
We thought we knew what we were signing up for when we laced our boots and took the first steps on the Camino de Santiago. But nothing could prepare us for how it would end. After hundreds of kilometers, sore feet, shared stories, and silent prayers, we finally stood before the towering Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. But instead of triumph, we felt something else—grief, relief, and something beautifully indescribable.
Our journey didn’t end at the finish line—it unraveled there. One of us fell ill just days before reaching Santiago. Another broke down in tears mid-step, burdened by memories the road had unearthed. But somehow, we kept moving—together. Strangers became lifelines, and every stone beneath our feet carried the weight of a thousand silent pilgrims before us.
When we finally arrived, we collapsed on the cathedral steps, not in victory but in surrender. The Camino hadn’t just tested our bodies; it had laid bare our souls.
It didn’t end the way we imagined. It ended the way we needed.
If you’re planning to walk the Camino, know this: it might not give you answers, but it will give you truth. And that is worth every step.
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