Compassion
Learning Compassion for Our Bodies is a Great Reason Why Women Over 50 Hike
So, I told you I would be writing 17 thoughts about why women over 50 hike, so here is another for your thoughts. Our bodies, when we hike, speak to us—sometimes loudly, other times more quietly, but anyway they speak, they will offer you the ability to learn compassion for this amazing, living, and breathing gift of life.
I wait to really start hiking at 59, a year before turning 60. Oh, my, that was an obvious statement, wasn’t it? I planned and became determined to walk the 500-mile Camino de Santiago when I turned 60. I had read only one blog before I went, and it was from a man who was 50 years old, 50 pounds overweight, and really had not trained, and he finished it. So, trust me, I believe I knew if he could do it, this woman, who was majorly determined, could also finish this walk. I gave myself 60 days off because I was teaching high school and had the whole summer off. My sweet husband tried not to talk about it in hopes I would just forget about it, but guess what? That didn’t happen. So in June of 2014, off we went, with many serendipitous things allowing us to go on this life-changing adventure.
I had already finished menopause. I had read Shirley McClains book “The Camino,” written in 2001. I am also of Puerto Rican descent, so I believe that added to my call to Spain. I was also 50 pounds overweight and really wasn’t training very much. We would go for 2–3-mile walks, and occasionally we would do 8; towards the time to leave, maybe an occasional 12-miler. These seemingly large obstacles didn’t slow me down, but I did come to find out I had people at home betting I would not make it for 2 weeks. You can imagine my reaction when I heard that. Two weeks down and three more to go.
Thirty-six days on the trail with two rest days, then a week or so of wandering around trying to get reacclimated to not getting up every day, putting on our shoes and packs, and setting out for a 14–20 mile hike, was no easy task. Over the last ten years, I have been aware of the huge number of women, a lot of them over 50, who are striking out onto the trails. Some are close to home, but many more take long-distance trips to walk 100’s of miles. Using our bodies and learning to treat them with compassion is something more and more women are coming to terms with. We are finding that if we ignore those little signals our bodies are sending us, they may quite rapidly become louder and louder until they demand we listen and give them a break. Here’s where compassion comes in. When we practice listening and hearing what these bodies of ours have to say, we will be able to walk so many more trails and have many more adventures.
After walking that 500-mile pilgrimage, finishing it all without getting into a car or bus and walking over at least three mountain ranges gave me so much confidence to venture outside and gather the gifts that await us on the trail.
As we age, we can hear voices echoing in our heads. Can I do this? Can I age gracefully with compassion for this body as it changes? Can I put one foot in front of the other, climb that next hill and the next, and appreciate the fresh air, the sounds of silence, and the amazing views? And do this all with gratitude for our bodies continuing to take those next steps? Sometimes it is painful, and we are unsure if we really can make it. But if we listen and listen well, our bodies will surprise us with their willingness to take us boldly into this and the next journey. Each day, we can wake up and step out again into the dawn of the day’s adventures.
We may be loners or wish to walk with our people. My husband and I walked mostly alone. We went on the trip just the two of us, then met people along the way. It truly was so wonderful. I am mostly a hermit, so I could quietly walk along, and there always seemed to be someone for Gregg to talk with. Even if he couldn’t speak or understand their language, he was enthralled. Whether we walk alone or with others, recognizing the challenges and benefits of these time-honored practices go hand in hand. Determined to do these 500 miles and amazed daily that our bodies somehow manage to keep moving. There were days we would have to holler Uncle and stop and rest. As we age, I believe we are more likely to listen to the sometimes quiet voice, and other times we push on and wait for the loud yell to stop and rest. Here too is a moment for compassion, not necessarily for our bodies but for our very selves, who have probably been trained and encouraged to push through all things, from being working mothers to taking care of all those who we feel are part of our family, even when we may be suffering ourselves. Compassion for all of ourselves. This is where we can learn deep, deep compassion.
Women are taking the opportunity to be outside on the trails, again in groups and alone, close to home like me, who has 600 miles of trails within a 40-mile radius of home or far away. We can easily find a blog or a group to connect with. I know that here in Florida, there are many hiking groups just for women. All have varied experiences and different lives. Each day, we can be inspired by their posts on social media. There are many trails and so many journeys. Even when we walk the same path, there are different times of the day, different seasons, different weather conditions, and different emotions that we are carrying with us. Another surprise is that we can walk the same trail at the same time, say a day with another, but no two journeys, either alone or with someone else, will be the same. How amazing is that? My husband and I walked those 500 miles together for 38 days, 24/7 together. Both of us wrote about our experiences, yet when you read them side by side, it was as if we walked a different trail. I hope to put those writings together just to show the extreme difference that two souls have on the same trip. But that makes it such a beautiful experience.
Welcome is given to all who step into the wild. We will all receive exactly what we need from the wilderness, at whatever pace we happen to walk.
Placing ourselves out the door, boots and pack on, water bottles filled, map or guide book close by me I will now have a Cover )( Y’r Assets skort with 2-3 liners taking up minimal space in my pack. I will continue to walk with gratitude and compassion because I know that this hike is where I will find out that if I can do this, I can do anything.
