Were we Being Sent a Message in Meeting our German Friend?

We met Uli while walking the high route option between Villafranca and Ambasmestas while on our pilgrimage trek along the Camino de Santiago in northwestern Spain. She was from Germany, was between jobs, and was using her time off to walk the Camino. There were only a few of us hiking along this high route. 

Far below in the valley, we could see many pilgrims walking the main route along the road. Like Uli, everyone we met on this high route was of the female persuasion, walking in groups or walking solo and alone. So, other than myself, there were no men walking this route.  

“C'mon men!” I called out to no one in particular. “We have our insecure egos to protect! Get on up here!”

Later that day in the bar of our Ambasmestas hotel, we saw Uli walk in. She quietly took a table in the far corner. MK invited her to join us and our group at our large table while we consumed some (ok, a lot) beer, wine, and tasty snacks. The Australians and Canadians from our group manned a table nearby. We soon joined tables and continued with our drinks and stories while MK was toasted for her birthday.

We all fall victim to the Spanish tradition where dinner doesn't start until 8:00 p.m. So we drank more wine and beer until then. At 8:00, the fun transferred into the adjacent restaurant where we all ordered the Menu de Dia. Uli sat with MK and me. We shared yet more stories, mostly about the kids, work, politics, Merkel and Obama, different language dialects, and Uli's wonderful command of the English language.

The following day, I lit a candle for mom in an ancient church in O’Cebreiro. I said a silent prayer that her health improves and that she will be okay while we are away. We left the U.S. with her being very ill and weak from her chemo treatments. My brother kept us informed throughout the week via email on her condition.

Ancient church in the Village of O'Cebreiro

We questioned whether we should have even gone on this trip given her medical situation. She insisted that we go saying that all will be okay. We ended up convincing ourselves that we should feel comfortable in leaving her given her strong will and spirit along with my brother's care and oversight.

Late that afternoon the skies turned even drearier than earlier in the day when the rain fell off and on throughout our hike. Fog enveloped our surroundings. Everything and everyone was damp and cold. We went off by ourselves to eat one of those fantastically priced Menu de Dias at a nearby restaurant. Uli walked in. We hadn’t seen her since the evening before. She had checked in at another nearby hotel. We asked her to join us and ended up having another evening of fascinating conversation.

MK (l) and Uli (r) chat on the streets in O'Cebreiro

We didn’t see her again until several days later at a restaurant in Triacastela. It was at dinner that she divulged to us that she recently had survived a cancer scare. It is a horrible thing to go through, but especially so for someone so young (late 30s). But survive it she did. It was unspoken, but we now knew her Camino had a very special and personal meaning for her. And, we suspect, having a husband who is supportive of her undertaking this long and arduous trip alone is special for her as well.

The days wore on without ever seeing Uli again. We missed her and talked about her as we walked. What if by meeting Uli we were being sent a message? What if the message is twofold? First, what if this is God's way of saying my mom's own cancer scare will turn out just as well as Uli’s did? It was eerie to think that since we met Uli, my brother's emails had included reports that mom's health had been gradually improving over the past several days.

And second, in meeting Uli, what if this is also a message that we should always be thankful for the health that we have and that we should always live life to the fullest for one never knows what the next day brings? It's a lifestyle MK and I believe in and practice regularly. If in meeting Uli, are we being sent a message confirming that everything with my mother will be okay and that what we are doing with our lives is indeed the right thing?

Later in the week, when we arrived in Santiago, we inquired at the front desk of the hotel we believed Uli said she was going to stay in. The clerks had no record of an “Uli” being registered to stay in their accommodation. Our only remaining hope was that we would eventually see her somewhere on the streets of Santiago over the next couple of days, but it never happened.

We left for the U.S. never to see her again, nor knowing how to ever connect with her in the future. She had entered our life for a reason, we are convinced. We only wished that we had a chance to thank her for doing so.