Hey girls, I’m just going to tell you about some of my experiences in Lourdes. While on my trip a wise man once told me “Lourdes is like a corrective lens, it puts things into perspective”. Although a cheesy comment that was laughed off it got me thinking. . . abut how we all magnify our own problems and don’t tend to see the bigger picture. This as definitely an eye opening experience for me.
After arriving at the airport at 4 a.m. we were thrown into the deep end, being handed pilgrims to occupy for two hours. I’m not gonna lie – I was a bit nervous. After a few jobs including finding a pilgrim who lost their boarding car, who actually went by a completely different name that the one I was given, to making numerous cups of tea, I found myself without a pilgrim while everyone else was paired off. But then a kind 68 year old man named Edward Harknan stopped me explaining that I looked like his wife Angela who had just passed away a year ago from struggling with breast cancer. He already had a helper but that didn’t’ matter to him he requested me to stay with him and join him on the plane.
We immediately hit it off and became best friends. I was shocked about how open he was and how easily he told me his life story, the ups and the downs, the high points and the struggles. I found it hard not to keep asking questions. We discussed his family, his father who died from a brain hemorrhage when he was only a child causing him to be the father figure within his family. He had the most amazing life telling me stories of how he met his wife when he was seventeen and just knew she was the one. The “Notebook” is no comparison. He wasn’t wheelchair bound but needed crutches explaining to me how he ended up that way. Five years ago doctors had found that a large tumor in his nose had spread to his spine, and collapsed his vertebrae paralyzing from the neck down for four years. After hearing his any of my own problems or worries seemed laughable. He was a big Sinatra fan, promising to serenade me if I came to visit – an offer I couldn’t refuse.
Being part of the water duty crew our duties were limited, giving us a lot of free time between quenching the thirst of the congregation during mass. On one of my water runs I was told to offer it to the deaf (bare in mind most people prayed with their eyes closed). I came across a middle aged man laughing at my feeble attempt of pointing at my bottle and back to the sups. His name was Seamus and he had the personality of a cheeky ten year old boy – being told off for signing during mass. He was so kind as to teach me how to sign and any chance I had I ran over them offering water with my new skills. I felt like a bit of a ledge.
I took a trip up to Eddy’s ward finding him waiting for my arrival smugly saying “Ahh you couldn’t leave me Lisa”. He requested that I was his helper even though I wasn’t even on ward duty. I couldn’t say no! We got to know each other on a different level, chatting about spirituality and faith. I met him any chance I could, bringing him shopping and running all over town to surprise him with his infamous ginger snaps… once stone lighter and two hours later I realised that they don’t make them in Lourdes . . . of course.
One of the nights we joined into the candle light procession and I was overwhelmed. Pulling Eddy in his voiture in a crowd of over 8,000 people. The candles were all you could see. Ave Maria was all you could hear and overwhelming faith was all you could feel. I was dragging my jaw as I held back the tears. As a first year there we were part of the blueshirts, the people were so friendly there you’d feel like you’ve known them for years, but having to glance at their name tags every two minutes reminded you that you’d only met. I found myself bumming around with complete randomers and in no way even noticing. After a long days work we had rave piano sessions scheduled for us in the solitude along with table quizzes and general entertainment. This is where we all let it go, screaming our lungs out to journeys “Don’t stop believing” … I was completely unaware that techno songs could be played on the piano. We all mingled meeting new friends that we could tell will be friends for life.
I have no idea why I was picked for Lourdes, all I know is I’m going back next year and I hope to see you there.
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