Hana, Kip and Brian

Please click on the link below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp-9C3FDaRY

That instruction was primarily aimed at my father Brian Lewis, who I know will be reading this, but hasn’t yet quite fully understood the potential of modern technology.

After reading my piece on suicidal thoughts he sent me an email in which he states

“I am aware of the problems and understand them as far as it is possible to understand them. I have never thought that your life was other than valuable for although you are one of my own and therefore prejudiced, totally admirable”.

And he later writes

“You are a natural teacher and your job is to work with the poor in spirit and the dispossessed for not to do so is a waste”

My father is a wise and eloquent man who has devoted much of his life to putting in the thought, effort and encouragement to help others make a close inspection of that beautiful fresco high up in an Italian church.  He will also provide the tools to help you to see this more clearly.  The aspect of his work that I admire the most is that he will often do this in a clever and imaginative way.

There are thousands of people from communities such as: Rothwell, Pontefract, Birmingham, Gujarat and beyond, who have benefited from spending time with Brian Lewis.

http://www.pontefractpress.com/

I recently read that

“Nobody gets to Santiago without the help of some other”

That can include: providing a much needed back rub, offering words of encouragement to a tired, injured pilgrim as they struggle to make the final 50 metres to the summit of O Cebriero, or buying a lunch for a financially challenged traveller.

Furthermore, I have yet to meet somebody on the way who has not in someway assisted another traveller to reach Santiago.

I decided to undertake this journey to Santiago just over a month ago.  In a relatively short period I have received: messages of love and support from friends and strangers, much needed financial assistance, the inspiration to write a blog, constructive criticism on my writing, recommendations of books, advice on blisters and much more.

I have not yet stepped out of my front door and I could spend much of the next hour individually listing those people who have so far helped me and I would still omit somebody. 

It feels good to be Hana, to be the beneficiary of an act of love and it also feels good to be Kip to provide the way and means to help another person get to a beautiful place that appears to be impossible to get to.